Won't Tell a Soul
by TheLastPilot
Summary: When Nino runs headlong into the biggest most stressful secret he can imagine he is suddenly thrown into a world of secret identities and superheroes. Now that he knows Ladybug's identity, he's got to do what he can to help her out. (Not Ninette, Alya and Nino are not together. Pre-animan)
1. Chapter 1

The beat and flow of the music was Nino's constant morning companion, pumping from his headphones as he walked towards school. He let the sound of it sooth his raw edges, for whatever reason in a rotten mood as far as he went. In comparison to others he wasn't really all that bad, he mostly just got quiet, but he still found it difficult to head out that morning. He just wanted to stay put and not deal with anything, and he knew it was only going to get worse. Maybe that's where the foul mood came from, if not just from his lack of sleep. He had stayed up till almost four in the morning trying to finish this project on time, and he knew he was woefully unprepared for the test that went along with turning it in.

Another satisfying drop in music, falling in rhythm with his steps. He sighed, shaking his head and forging on, figuring that dwelling was just going to make him crabbier. Might as well get there and fail so he can go home again.

Nino jogged up the steps, keeping his headphones on as he set up besides the schools entrance to wait for Adrien. This wasn't exactly a ritual that had been agreed upon at any point, it's just what he did but Adrien seemed to appreciate it. Nino sourly considered how transparent he could be to his best friend, and doubted he would get very far before Adrien asked him what was wrong. He tried to consider a good answer, closing his eyes for a second to soothe his headache from exhaustion.

He about jumped out of his skin when someone touched him, and he almost fell off the ridiculously steep wall as a result before Adrien grabbed him, steading him on his feet.

"Woah dude!" he vaguely heard Adrien exclaim, taking off his headphones to hear the rest, "Don't freak out! Did you fall asleep out here?"

Nino looked at Adrien, slowly blinking as he got his bearings before rubbing awkwardly at his neck.

"Uh, yeah I guess," Nino laughed dismissively, trying to wake himself up a bit but failing miserably. God he was freaking tired.

"Did you get any sleep? You look dead on your feet," Adrien pressed, following after Nino as he suddenly started to head inside without warning.

"Not really," Nino said simply, his tone neutral but Adrien still quirked an eyebrow, jogging a bit to get ahead of him and force him to stop.

"What's up?" Adrien asked immediately, and Nino avoided his gaze, biting back irritation he knew only came from lack of sleep.

"Nothing, just tired. Kind of in a bad mood," Nino said honestly, and Adrien looked him so intensely in the eye he almost felt the need to back up before he nodded, apparently satisfied that he was telling the truth.

"Want me to leave you alone?" Adrien asked as they neared the classroom but Nino was quick to shake his head.

"No, you're fine. I just might not be like, super chatty today."

"That's cool with me, you ever want me to leave you be just let me know" Adrien said with that earnest sort of grin he was always able to spot out of his fake model ones. Despite his foul mood it made Nino smile.

"Thanks man, I appreciate it."

"No problem," Adrien assured him, clapping him on the shoulder and grinning again before excusing himself. Nino watched him for a moment trying to figure out where he was going before just deciding to wait at his desk since it was still early. Maybe he could catch some sleep.

That was the good thing about Adrien, he always knew when to back off. There were a lot of good things about Adrien, they were friends for a reason, so he knew he could count on Adrien's silent company for the rest of the day.

The thought made him feel a little better.

...

He was startled awake again by Adrien, and he was very surprised to find the classroom full and already in session. Man when he was tired enough he could sleep through a freaking war… what class was this even?

Ugh… Nino could feel his crabbiness returning. He just wanted to get through the day, maybe he would get lucky and the school would blow up before the test could be given. Wouldn't be the first time.

Classes ticked by only worsening his mood, but he admittedly felt a bit recharged from his cat nap in the library through lunch. Adrien dutifully kept people from disturbing him, yet another thing he was grateful for from the blond today.

He was groaning himself awake when Adrien asked a pretty innocent question from his seat across from him, a textbook in his hands.

"You ready for the test?" he said simply, jumping slightly when Nino banged his head into the tabletop, his hat getting knocked off.

"Uh, I'll take that as a no?" Adrien asked, looking down at Nino skeptically as he softly pounded his head again and again.

"I'm gonna fail," Nino sighed, grimacing dramatically at nothing.

"You'll be fine dude," Adrien reassured him, leaning back in his chair with a half-smile on his face. Did he _always_ look like he was posing? Nino was starting to think yes.

"No. Not fine," Nino muttered, taking his cap and shielding his eyes with it from the harsh light of the waking world. "Dead actually, dead on the floor. Under a pile of F's like a… failed, person. Failure. That's the word I was going for."

Adrien's laugh was loud before he cut it off, snickering as quietly as he could into his hand. Nino peaked up at him with a frown from beneath his shield, his eyes falling to their literature textbook in his grasp.

"I'm assuming you're going to ace it then," Nino muttered.

Adrien took a second to collect himself before saying, "Maybe, mostly cause I took lunch time to study instead of drool on a table."

"I don't drool," Nino protested, his eyes glancing down just to double check which made Adrien laugh again.

"Here," Adrien said suddenly, closing the book and sliding it over to his friend, "We have like three more minutes, might as well cram."

Nino glared at the book for a second before sighing and sitting up, flipping aimlessly through the text. Nino looked at it for another minute before his pounding headache made him sigh and close it again.

"Is it too much to hope for some crazy supervillain to disrupt school again and cancel classes for the day?" he mumbled mostly to himself, but he caught Adrien's questioning and slightly amused expression.

"Are you seriously banking on the school getting shut down by an akuma attack just because you don't want to take a test?"

"Not everyone has as bad of luck as you," Nino retorted weakly, looking down at the closed textbook. "Maybe I'll get lucky."

Adrien chuckled, shaking his head and his stupid perfect hair. "Well I say bet on the textbook, but maybe that's just me."

...

And just then, quite literally out of nowhere, the ground shook violently in time with the sound of a large explosion and a chorus of terrified screams.

Adrien and Nino's eyes both shot wide, the friends staring at each other for a second before Nino started to laugh from a combination of disbelief and fear.

"You were saying!?" Nino panic laughed, and Adrien scolded him crossly.

"The school is under attack don't _laugh_ Nino!"

"Sorry but just, what are the chances!?" Nino cackled again, before they both turned sharply at the sound of more screams and Nino gulped nervously. "Okay well maybe my silver lining can wait…"

"You think!?" Adrien shouted, suddenly on his feet with an intensely focused look on his face. "Stay _here_ and stay out of sight."

"Wait where are you **going**!?" Nino shouted after his friend, who was all at once sprinting for the library's entrance. There was another loud explosion and Nino looked at his best friend running head long _into danger_.

"Stay out of sight Nino!" Adrien shouted over his shoulder, before he was gone, sprinting through a terrified crowd of students.

"What the hell, _what the hell_ does he have a **death wish**!?" Nino screamed to himself, ducking underneath the table. He was positive Ladybug and Cat Noir would show up and save the day like they always did but that didn't mean Adrien could be so reckless!

Nino knew how these things usually went for him. When the city was attacked he would hide like everyone else and wait for their heroes to save them but- His mind flashed to that fearless look of determination Adrien had just before running towards the attack sight. He didn't get freaked out, he didn't panic or cower _ever_. Nino couldn't think of a single time he had ever seen him hiding during an akuma attack, was he just out evacuating people? Nino cared about his friends too, a lot, he'd do anything for them, but when an attack happened he was always worried about them and he never ran out to find them. Not like Adrien did.

Another explosion shook the ground and he screwed his eyes shut, shaking from fear beneath the table. But to be honest, he wasn't really scared of the akuma. He was scared Adrien was going to get hurt. Brave was one thing but stupid was another, and the more he thought about it the more he didn't know where his other friends were. Were they scared? Were they hiding? Had they made it out of the school?

Was he seriously just going to wait to find out?

Adrien was out there in the battlefield like an idiot, and Nino kept thinking about all the amazing things Adrien had done for him that day, all that things that reminded him why they were always so close.

And there was just no way in hell he was going to let him get himself killed.

...

Nino was sprinting from the library before he had really decided to leave, already running through the school, and dodging throngs of terrified students and faculty. There wasn't any fire he could see but the ground kept shaking, time and time again almost knocking him off his feet. He was scared, freaking terrified but he had to find his friends, he wasn't leaving the school without them.

He paused at the corner of a hallway that lead to the main courtyard, and by the sound of things that's where the baddy was, but his best shot of getting to his classroom where Marinette and Alya were likely to be stuck was to get out in that courtyard and up the stairs.

His knees were shaking at the very idea, his confidence almost breaking when the ground shook violently again but he grit his teeth. He wondered if he had that same look of determination in his eyes.

He turned the corner and sprinted for the stairs in one motion, the action of the fight visible in his peripheral but he didn't turn. He made it to the steps and started his ascent when he heard the sassy quip that could only be Cat Noir and hearing it made him laugh a loud in anxious relief. At least one of his heroes was here, already on the scene, but it looked like he was alone.

When he made it to the top he dared to look down for a second, seeing some freaking… crazy drill… lady? He couldn't even explain it but that was probably what all the shaking was from. And there was Cat Noir, standing firm with a cocky grin, leaning on his staff. But no Ladybug.

Where was she?

Nino shook his head, refocusing himself and turning to face his classroom when suddenly he saw the door open.

It was Marinette, looking back into the room almost as if she was checking if anyone saw her leave and shutting the door quietly.

"Marinette!" he shouted, the whole length of the hall between them combined with the explosive fighting beneath them drowning out his voice. Her back was to him and suddenly she was running away from the safety of the classroom and down the hall away from him.

"What the hell!?" Nino said aloud again, groaning and grabbing his head in frustration before taking off after her. Why were his friends not just _staying put_!? Adrien was one to talk about him staying safe, all of his friends seemed to be running _towards_ _ **danger**_ _._

Nino kept shouting her name, trying to catch up to her, always just one turn behind her as she ran into the deep and now mostly deserted parts of the school. She didn't hear him though, but his determination to make sure she stayed hidden drove him forward. He wasn't going to let any of his friends get hurt because he was too scared to protect them.

He turned a final corner, grinning in relief when he saw Marinette crouched mostly out of sight with her back to him. He was about to speak, and there would be many times where he would wonder what would be different if he had. If he had gotten there a second sooner he would have caught her crouching and surprised her, and nothing would have changed. If he had gotten there a second later she wouldn't even have been there, but rather someone else, and nothing would have changed.

But quite by chance, Nino arrived exactly when he did, his words catching on his tongue as he watched a sudden flurry of bright red, flashing light consume his friend.

The only people in that hallway had been himself and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but now he stood still, completely frozen, as Ladybug stood up in her place.

His mouth had dropped open, staring at the superhero in complete and utter disbelief. Every other function of his brain had stopped working besides the one that was now looping the phrase, " _Marinette is Ladybug,"_ a thousand times over in the space of a second.

He tensed when she turned, horror crossing her face as she saw him standing there, so pale and freaked out that there was no way he hadn't seen what she really hoped he hadn't seen.

Because he had _absolutely seen_.

"Oh my god," she whispered, her eyes wide in shock.

"Oh my god," Nino echoed, his hands balling up into fists and his arms curling close to his chest.

" _Oh my god,"_ Ladybug screamed, grabbing roughly at her pigtails, pulling a ridiculous expression of terror only Marinette could manage.

" **OH MY GOD** " Nino finally broke, hands at the top of his head before he just started shouting, his brain breaking in panic.

"Nino shut up!" Ladybug tried to stop him, holding out her hands in front of her like she was corralling a herd of startled chickens. But hearing the voice he now recognized as Marinette's come out of his freaking _hero_ just made him keep shouting. It was like a dam of information had collapsed, like some weird spell had kept him from seeing it this whole time, because now _it completely made sense_.

He was tackled pretty roughly to the ground, Ladybug slamming her hand over his mouth to muffle his freaked out shouting.

"STAFHKSOIFHKS." Nino's muffled shouting was made unintelligible, but he still stared up at Marinette's incredibly familiar too blue eyes that were still wide from panic.

"Stop screaming and I'll let you go!" she said tensely, looking all around to ensure no one else was there.

Nino reached up, grabbing her hand away and saying, "Marinette _what the hell!?_ "

She squealed, screwing her eyes shut and shaking her head so that the pigtails became messy and lopsided. "Ahhh," she groaned, "oh man this is bad this is really bad."

"How long have you be- have you _always_ been Ladybug!? This whole time!?" Nino was quickly silenced by her again, her eyes intense and narrowing to drive home her point, but he could still see the scared designer he had always been friends with.

"Nino you can't tell **anyone,** no one can know do you understand? Nobody!"

Nino shook her hand from his face, about to speak again when he saw something so incredibly earnest and pleading in her eyes.

"Please Nino," she spoke again, her voice softer and desperate as she looked down at him, "Please promise me you'll keep it a secret, I need to know I can trust you."

To her surprise, through all of his panic and shock, Nino looked upset.

"Of _course_ you can trust me!" he shot back at her, making draw back slightly in surprise at how powerfully he said it. "Mari- I- this is freaking _crazy_ but I'm not gonna tell anyone! I swear," he said genuinely, leveling her with an unshakeable gaze, "I won't tell a soul."

They were frozen like that for a second, Ladybug sat on top of him, pinning him to the ground. Nino had no clue what to think, or even how to think, _what was happening_. But what he did know, was that there was no way he was going to throw Marinette under the bus. This was the biggest secret he could even imagine h- he wasn't going to betray her trust. No way in hell.

Just then another huge tremor shook through the school and Ladybug looked towards the courtyard nervously, her gaze switching between the fight she needed to be at and the DJ trapped beneath her.

"I need to go," she said tensely, doubt clear in her eyes. "Cat can't fight that thing alone I need to be there."

"Yeah," he stuttered out, still not even close to processing what was happening to him.

They stared at each other for another moment before a second huge tremor forced her to act.

"I'll find you after," she promised, "and I'll explain, I swear. Just get out of the school it isn't safe here."

"What about everyone else? Adrien is out there somewhere I ran out looking for him!"

Ladybug looked frightened when he admitted to his best friend being in danger, but that strong determination settled in her eyes again. "I'll find Adrien, just get out of here. Cat Noir and I will keep everyone safe. I have to go!"

She stood up, freeing him and sprinting away down the hallway they had come from, and Nino could only gape. He blinked, once, twice, laying his head down and just sort of laying on the ground.

There was another huge quake and he just rode it out, staring at the ceiling of the hallway.

Very slowly he reached up towards the brim of his hat, drawing the red cap over his eyes as he turned onto his side, not quite in the fetal position, but somewhere close.

He started to make a noise, something sort of like a 'eeeeaaaHHHHHHH' that slowly grew in volume, until suddenly he was on his feet, cap in one hand and headphones in the other, running like the freaking wind, screaming easily three times as hysterically as any other fleeing civilian.

What confused other people the most, is that he sort of looked excited.


	2. Chapter 2

Nino was bouncing in place on the mattress of his bed, completely absorbed in the news report following the most recent akuma attack. Alya's Ladyblog stream had been cut off a while ago thankfully, Cat Noir finding her and running her out of the building before she got hurt trying to get footage.

The dust was starting to settle inside the school and the news vans waited anxiously on the streets, hoping that they had seen the end of the destructive tremors.

Nino couldn't help the giddy laugh when on the footage hundreds witnessed Ladybug's Miraculous Cure restore many of the surrounding buildings, and the crowds gathered started to cheer knowing that they had won.

Still though, he dropped his head in his hands in pure relief when he saw Ladybug walk through the main doors of the school with Cat Noir, the pair of them waving to the press and assuring them that all was well. He couldn't stop thinking that entire time about shy, cute Marinette fearlessly facing endless bad guys. She was _Ladybug_ she was tough a-and unstoppable! But… crap he worried anyways.

Holy hell Marinette was Ladybug. It still hadn't settled. He doubted it ever would.

He looked up at the screen when he heard her voice, seeing Ladybug politely but quickly trying to escape the press. Nino looked in the background of the shot and caught a concerned look that Cat Noir was throwing her way, and it was clear even over the broadcast that she was distracted.

Her hand flashed up to her earrings then, her distraction growing even worse. Suddenly she turned around, running to Cat and urgently telling him something, whatever she had to say obviously of a great shock to him.

'Is she telling him I found her out?' Nino worried, having a quick waking nightmare of Cat Noir showing up to his house and threatening him to keep it a secret. But then Ladybug was making gestures, indicating a height and clothes and pointing towards the school. Cat Noir still looked shocked, but he quickly agreed to whatever it was she had wanted, the two waving to the press again before taking off in separate directions, Cat into the school and Ladybug off over the rooftops.

The broadcast faded into useless white noise for Nino, his eyes drifting to his phone and then out the window, until in his anxiety he was pacing his room. Was she going to be mad? What was going to happen, what even _was_ happening? It was freaking _Marinette_! His friend! Sweet little kind Marinette, but… then again. Mari had always been tough as nails, standing up for others and facing off against anyone. She was not easily intimidated, yet somehow she was still sort of shy? Well not really, she was just expressive, so it was easy to see any fluctuation in confidence.

The more he thought about it, the easier it was to picture her as a hero. Not all that much changed.

But holy _crap!_ He was friends with Ladybug this entire time! The hero herself!

Nino froze, something occurring to him for the first time, and then he was doubled over with laughter.

Marinette was Alya's best freaking friend, and she was _Ladybug!_ The number one person Alya was always trying to find was literally with her all the time! Holy hell, Alya would probably pass out if she knew, which she wouldn't. Because he would never tell her or anyone else but, still, it was funny to imagine.

Oh wow, man he was _in on it_. He was in on the big secret! He knew who she was! Would things be different? Could they talk about all her battles and super crazy magic stuff just all the time now? _Oh man_ he wished he could tell Adrien he would **freak out!**

His laughter and good humor were dulled instantly by a fresh pang of worry, and he checked his phone again. Still nothing.

Had Ladybug found him yet? Was she already on her way?

What was he even going to say to her when she arrived? Would she come as Ladybug or Marinette?

He let out a not so manly squeal of surprise when his phones loud tone broke him from his thoughts, and he felt his nerves shoot through his body like electricity when he read the contact.

'Marinette- Can you meet me at the park by my house? We need to talk.'

He stared at the bright display of his phone for a second before he swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling dry. Now that he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Marinette could kick his ass six ways to Sunday a message that blunt was more than a little terrifying.

He took a deep breathe, forcing himself to remember that this was still his friend he was talking to. After a moments more delay he typed out, 'I'll head over now. Did you find Adrien, is he okay?'

While he waited for a reply he grabbed his headphones and set them on his shoulders, keeping his phone in his hand as he ran from his room and towards the front door, shouting a random excuse to his parents as he left the building. He kept up the pace, running down the stairs and bursting out onto the street, yelling an apology to a little kid who lived a few doors down for almost trampling him.

He only stopped running to check a new message when it came in, the anxious knot in his stomach unwinding slightly when he did.

'Marinette- I sent CN after him, im sure he's okay.'

Nino looked at the message for a second longer before shaking his head, clearing it of doubt. If Cat Noir was looking out for him then Adrien was going to be alright, plus the cure would have fixed any injuries if he had even gotten them. He had to focus on the main thing right now. Just thinking about it made him nervous again.

He kept going, feeling the weight of the secret for the first time. It's not like he was getting interrogated, but just _knowing_ something no one else did, running through the streets to secretly meet a superhero who was also secretly his friend was just- it was so _bizarre_. He was so frazzled he hadn't even taken his bike from the garage. Probably would have been a good idea but whatever, he was almost there.

 _He was so excited_.

Nino ran along the fence bordering the park feeling like every step was more and more stressful but he didn't slow down, deliberately ignoring the hero statue in an attempt to maintain some sort of sanity. Despite his best efforts though, his first instinct when he spotted her was to stop dead in his tracks.

When he stopped he was a short distance away, marveling a tad dramatically at how little everything had changed. Kids were still playing, the sun was out and the day was nice. It was like an attack hadn't just happened, Paris had already normalized. And it occurred to Nino in that moment what a luxury that was.

He had been scared out of his mind, running through tremors that shook the ground and set off explosions, people had been _screaming_ , and then just like that it was okay. Because Ladybug and Cat Noir had made it okay. This occurred to Nino mostly because, as at ease everyone looked… there was a young petite girl sitting on a bench who looked tense and worried.

She really looked stressed. Of course she did… the most dangerous secret of her life had just gotten out. What must all of this look like to her? The kids playing tag and the adult's reading their phones as they passed through the park on their way to work. Was it rewarding? Or…

He didn't know. It was overwhelming, even attempting to consider this seemingly normal scene from so many different angles. No matter how much he tried, he knew he was never going to get what it was like to be her in that moment.

He looked down, examining his shoes and all their aged imperfections, not really seeing them start to move, or even hers as they came in to view. He just sat down, spooking her slightly, trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to say.

It had just been a normal crappy day, and he had been dumb enough to be _grateful_ for a life threatening attack because he didn't want to take a test, that's the kind of complacency she dealt with every single day. He was so sure she would be there to save him, everyone was.

What the hell did that even feel like?

"Hey," he said lamely, looking up at her and doing his best to smile normally.

"Hey," she replied, the two of them taking a moment to stare at each other before quickly looking away.

There was a fairly lengthy pause where he cursed himself for not knowing how to make it… not horribly awkward. His fingers fidgeted with the chord of his headphones and he could feel her eyes tracking the movement, when eventually he heard her laugh. The sound was quiet but slightly reassuring. It still sounded like regular old Mari.

"Guess the secrets out," she finally said, giving him a small smile when he looked up. She held the look for a moment more before sighing, closing her eyes and shaking her head so that her pigtails swayed. "I guess something like this was going to happen eventually. I'm just glad that it's you."

His eyes widened at that. "You're _glad_?"

Her smile grew a little and she giggled. "Well preferably no one would have known, but a friend finding out is better than a stranger. I know I can trust you."

"Of course you can!" he reassured her regardless, his twisted anxiety taking a temporary backseat to his excitement. "I'd never rat you out Mari, I swear I won't say anything to anyone, no matter what. Not even if I was at gunpoint."

To her credit she still smiled, but he could see something like worry in her eyes. Her voice was a little more serious when she spoke again.

"Nino, now that you know-"

"You have to kill me?" he joked, and she huffed good naturedly.

"I'm serious Nino," her tone was subdued and it made him sober up a little. "This is a dangerous secret. If anyone were to catch on that you even knew about it you would be in danger, that's why I've never told anyone."

"Hey Spots I've seen super hero movies," he announced with a grin, biting back a snicker at the expression she pulled in reaction to his spontaneous nickname. He lifted his hand, ticking off things he understood.

"Heroes don't tell loved ones about their part time heroing because to do so would put them at risk. If one of them knew and it was discovered that they knew they could be used as leverage. Which like, almost never ends good. SO heroes don't tell people, which is sort of the point. But, I don't care."

Mari blanched, looking at his smile as it grew more and more confident.

"What do you _mean_ you don't care!? You just summed it up! This is a **big deal**! If Hawkmoth-"

"Are you planning on telling him?" Nino interrupted, cutting in again before she could respond. "There is no reason anyone should find out I know anything I shouldn't, and even if they did I'm not going to tell anyone, I promised."

"Nino!" she scolded, looking concerned by how not concerned he was. "That's not what I'm worried about! I don't want you in danger!"

"Well it's what _I'm_ worried about, and I know I won't say anything so we're square dude!"

She stared at him open mouthed, in utter disbelief at how _wide_ he was smiling.

"You're still **at risk**!" she reminded him, and threw her hands up in exasperation when he shrugged.

"Let's not freak out about something that isn't a problem B," he said with finality, thoroughly past his nerves and now just pretty pumped about all this.

She sighed, her head in her hands as she asked without looking up, "B?"

"Yeah, for bug. Calling you LB would be a little obvious, B could be anything."

"Niiinooo," she groaned, but he just laughed, his fists pumping the air.

"This is so freaking cool!" he finally said, still laughing in exhilaration, looking around before saying, "You're a _superhero_ dude!"

She looked up at him with a sarcastic expression. "Oh really? I hadn't noticed."

"Oh come on!" he chastised her, shaking her shoulders in excitement. "Let me be pumped about this! How does it even work? How did you get your stone? Can _anyone_ have a stone or are you like the chosen one? Does Cat Noir know who you are?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes, but he could see the twitch of a smile there. In order she said, "It's complicated, it's complicated, I don't know and no he doesn't."

"How long have you been a hero? Have you always been Ladybug? Have there been Ladybugs before? Do you know who _Cat_ is?"

"Awhile, yes if you mean like the only one in Paris? Yes, and no I don't."

"This is SO COOL!" he said again, actually jumping up from the bench in jubilation and gaining some attention.

"Nino! Settle down!" she whisper yelled, pulling him back down and waving nervously at a staring couple nearby. "Don't draw attention to us!"

"Why are we even talking about super-secret stuff out in the park anyways?" he asked, looking around and feeling like a secret agent. "Do you like have a hideout or something?"

"No! I have a _room_ but we can't go in there right now. People don't expect super-secret stuff in plain sight, so it's relatively safe so long as we aren't obvious."

"Like transforming in front of your classmate?"

She blinked once, before she narrowed her eyes. "You weren't _supposed_ to be there!"

"I go to that school! It could have been anyone! Least I know why you always show up so fast now."

She dropped her head in her hands again, shaking it slowly. "This is so surreal, I can't even believe we're talking about this right now."

Suddenly, Nino doubted himself and frowned. "Should I stop?"

She looked up quickly, waving her hands. "No no it's fine! It's just…" she paused, her voice dropping in volume a little and her eyes sort of distant. Finally she admitted, "It's just crazy, I've never been able to talk to anyone about this before except for Tikki. Not even my parents or Alya know."

He cocked his head, asking the obvious next question. "Whos Tikki?"

Marinette froze for a second before laughing nervously. "Oh, haha yeah… you should probably meet her. Um… hang on come here we need to actually be out of sight for this."

She grabbed him by the hand, Nino yelping in surprise as she effortlessly pulled him off the bench and along behind her.

"Crap you're strong!" he exclaimed, and she just laughed, smiling effortlessly for the first time over her shoulder.

"I could pick you up with one hand when I'm transformed, but I'd have to use two if I did it now."

"You say that like its nothing?" his voice made it a question as they quickly crossed the street. "Slow down!"

"I'm not even going that fast!" she laughed, pulling him sharply into the alleyway behind her house and carefully looking around.

"Well I'm not super acrobat spotted lady now am I? We needed to be in an alleyway why exactly?" Nino asked, crossing his arms and smirking at her, glad that she seemed to be in a better place than she was before. She giggled a little, her fingers twisting nervously around the latch of her purse like she was hesitating to open it. And when she looked up at him with those huge blue eyes he was reminded as to why it had been so incredibly easy to have a crush on Marinette.

In that exact second her shoulders were hunched slightly, drawn in as she fought against the automatic desire to keep secrets that were already out in the open. She was so expressive, he could see doubt, excitement, relief and tension all wrapped up in her eyes, which somehow made the blue even more… blue. He noticed for the thousandth time the freckles on her nose and the cute small curve of her nose. It was definitely easy, effortless. That's just how she was.

But in the next second he felt a sharp twinge in his heart and then calm acceptance, because if he didn't have a chance before he definitely didn't have one now.

He guess it didn't really matter. He seriously doubted he had the fortitude it would take to be a romantic rival with Cat Noir.

Plus, he looked at the doubt she had in her eyes, fiddling with her purse, trying to force herself to commit to the secret. And Nino took a steadying breath, a soft smile on his face as he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

Cause what she needed right then was a friend.

"Don't worry Mari," he said easily, smiling at her, "I'm not gonna trip out again. I've got your back in all this from now on, I got you B."

She looked at him, her mouth popping open in a surprised little 'o', and he could see how much she appreciated that in the smile that slowly spread across her face.

"Thanks Nino… this is so crazy, talking to you about it. No one has ever met Tikki before, I'm just… adjusting. I know you'll be cool. Well uh," she looked up and away, giggling nervously about something. "You'll probably be cool about it after the initial… uh, well, you should probably just… Tikki say hi."

Nino quirked an eyebrow, about to state that they were alone in the alleyway when Marinette finally stopped fiddling with clasp of her bag and opened it.

To be completely fair, there is literally no reason Nino should have or could have been prepared for the small, red, admittedly sweet looking creature that flew out into the open. It was tiny and red, as previously stated, and somehow feminine even though it was absolutely not humanoid in the slightest. Its eyes were _huge_ and blue and its arms were sorta finned like a penguin or something. It had three little ladybug like spots, could fly, and-

"Hello!" it suddenly said, waving at him adorably and giggling. "My name is Tikki! I'm a kwami!"

-and it could talk.

Of course it could talk, _why was he surprised_.

Made perfect sense as far as things that didn't make any sense typically went.

"Eeeah," he managed in response, the squeak having to serve as his answer as he gaped wide eyed at this obviously magical thing. It was so magical looking it was ridiculous, he was expecting some super anime magical girl deal just from freaking looking at it.

"Aaah," he sounded again, his mouth opening and closing as he continued to stare. "Aaaaaaah."

"Please don't start screaming again," Marinette chimed in, glancing nervously out towards the main street, but she was biting back a pretty loud laugh herself. His face was _ridiculous._

The uh, kwami… thing floated up to his face, seeming pretty adjusted to this type of reaction and just continuing to smile. She grabbed her tiny feet and sorta swung in place in the air, waiting for him to reboot his brain with ' _crazy magical shit'_ in mind.

"H-hey," Nino finally said, after a fairly length pause. "Hello, hi. I-I'm Nino."

Tikki giggled again, it was so adorable it was criminal. "Yes I know! I'm with Marinette all the time I know all her friends! Even if I've never met them."

He stared for a little while more and he was aware of Marinette snickering into her hand off to the side but Tikki was being very patient.

"U-uh… I'm assuming you have something to do with the uh, magical part of all this."

Another giggle. "Yes, that's an easy way to put it. I'm a kwami! I use the miraculous stone In Marinette's earrings to turn her into Ladybug!"

"Uh… what's a kwami exactly?"

She smiled at him, looking small and rather unassuming as she said, "I'm an ancient and powerful god that has been here since the dawn of time!"

Nino blinked. "…that's cool."

Marinette was laughing aloud now, unable to hold it in anymore because his expression was so freaking overloaded it was beyond funny. Finally it wasn't her who was wildly out of depths, but rather Nino who was now rapidly considering referring to the tiny powerful god as 'Madame' from then on.

"It's so nice to actually meet you," Tikki continued, zipping around his head and bouncing down onto the brim of his hat, peaking over the edge at him upside down. "You've always seemed so sweet! And you're such a good friend!"

"Oh, uh wow, thank you," Nino laughed nervously, reaching up without really thinking about it to gently stroke her head. He was relieved when it produced a new giggle instead of like… the apocalypse.

"This is beyond insane…" Nino said out loud, and Marinette laughed again before shrugging.

"Yeah, uh it's kind of a lot to get used to."

"And I am just going to have to get used to it, because I want to be uh… apart of this and help and stuff so this is just the sort of stuff I'm going to need to expect from now on." Nino nodded resolutely, muttering an apology to Tikki when he accidently almost shook her off.

Marinette sighed, her hands on her hips as she looked up at her friend, searching his expression for something.

She watched as he gently removed Tikki from his cap, referring to her as 'Ms. Tikki' and cradling her very carefully. He was still very frazzled and coping with the fact that something like a kwami was even possible, but there was something in his eyes. It was a look of determination, her friend committed to dealing with whatever came his way for her sake. He wanted to be a part of her secret, the one that felt so incredibly heavy and lonely sometimes. She always had Cat Noir, but he didn't know who she truly was. She always had Alya, but the same was true for her. She had only ever had Tikki, someone who couldn't truly grasp everything it meant to be her, to be human.

But now she had Nino, her goofy music loving friend who held the guardian of her greatest secret in a soft hold, speaking to her and laughing nervously at something she had said.

She wouldn't ever wish the risk of his position on any of her friends, and if things had been different she would have dutifully kept the weight on her own shoulders to bear. Now though… this was a very particular situation, and for the time being it was safe…

So maybe it wasn't bad.

Maybe she could let Nino in.

So Marinette smiled, looking up into Nino's face as she said, "Have you ever wanted to see Paris from the top of the tower before?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh my god, oh my _god_ this is high, this is really high oh **crap**!" Nino squealed, latching on tightly to the laughing spotted woman who supported his weight as she effortlessly yo-yoed her way up the side of the Eifel tower.

Ladybug rolled her eyes, taking a short break on one of the support beams but Nino refused to let his feet touch metal, feeling more comfort from being wrapped around her.

She giggled, shifting his weight slightly and raising the yo-yo in her free hand.

"We can go back down you know, just give the word and I'll take you home."

Nino gulped, looking down and instantly regretting it but still adding, "Nope! No this is fine, I can deal with this. L-let's go to the top, but if you even pretend to drop me I'm never talking to you again."

She burst out laughing again, and he could actually hear the distant giggles from Tikki still inside the earrings as they started their climb again.

It was freaking ridiculous, she was getting the both of them up without breaking a sweat, swinging willy freakin' nilly all over the damn place. You know Nino was struck once again by how impractical of a weapon a yo-yo was like that was ridiculous right? It was a yo-yo, but then again maybe he was just having a crisis realizing the only thing between him and a billion foot drop was a yo-yo string, magical or otherwise.

Watching her transform again had been surreal, now that he was actually intended to see and had been so close when it happened. He could actually feel the weird indescribable energy that suddenly flooded the alleyway, and it was bizarre to realize that it must have been magic. REAL magic. Trying to cope with the fact that his friend was actually a superhero was still a struggle, but the longer he spent with her as Ladybug the easier it was to see the lines blur. She still had Mari's giggle, Mari's sass. The hero in spots he had come to idolize really had been that friendly cute designer.

Who knew one day that smiley girl who sat behind him in class would be towing him up the side of the Eifel Tower.

GOD they were high.

"Okay Nino," her voice suddenly reached him, "there is a little landing her. Get your footing."

Nino looked down, seeing a small platform above even the highest point civilians can go and ignoring the huge drop off just beyond it, following orders and setting his weight down and away from his escort. He didn't let go of her completely, still holding on to her shoulder and focusing on where he stood.

"Nino, take a look," she said softly, drawing his gaze first to her then to the sprawling cityscape. "Isn't the view amazing?"

Nino somehow forgot about his crippling fear of plummeting to the ground, the sight of Paris from such a high vantage point taking his breath away. He could feel his jaw drop, soaking in the distant living details of the city he had grown up in.

He could sense Ladybug- well, Marinette looking at him, a smile on her face as he watched the distant flowing lines of traffic down city streets. He could see movement in a splash of green, a park surrounded by buildings, and a large white block of a moving van trundling through tiny side streets. Well to say large was ridiculous, it was no bigger than an ant, nothing was. He was so high above everything, the sounds of the city only just making it to him on a breeze. It was something completely awe inspiring.

"Wow…" he whispered, his head moving from side to side to try and see as much as he could. "This is… insane."

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Ladybug responded, gently pulling Nino down to sit and keeping a loose hold on one of his arms. "No matter how busy I get I always try and find some time to remind myself of how special our city is."

"No place like Paris," he murmured, his tightly coiled muscles from the climb unwinding. It was hard to be afraid really, he knew Ladybug wouldn't let him fall. And who knew when he'd get to see something like this again?

Almost as if she had read his mind she said quietly, "I can take you up here any time you like, or anywhere else really, so long as there isn't an attack."

"Thanks," he said simply, still so caught up in the view, but luckily she wasn't offended, she just laughed.

"I love being up here, actually I think there is still some old trash from the last time me and Cat were- yup!"

Nino looked over at her exclamation, chuckling when he saw her shaking her head at a handful of pastry wrappers.

"I told that Cat to clean these up before he came down. He must have forgotten."

"Here give em to me," Nino said, reaching out for them before she could respond. He shoved them in his pockets, saying, "Don't want them blowing away and being liter right? Can't be a good role model if you're breaking the law."

Ladybug laughed, looking back out over the city. "A role model huh? I have to admit, never really saw myself as being one of those."

"Seriously?" Nino blurted out, blushing slightly and looking away as well when she gave him a quizzical look. "Sorry, that just doesn't make a lot of sense."

"What do you mean?"

Far below them the pair could hear the honking of a car horn and the varied sounds of traffic as the city lived and breathed. Nino thought over his words before responding.

"Well I just mean like, of course you're a role model. As Marinette or otherwise. There are tons of people who would want to be like you."

"What?" she said again, sounding genuinely confused but he still didn't look over. "I sort of get how Ladybug could be that for people but-"

"Well you're Ladybug right?" he said with an awkward laugh, glancing to the side. "That's sorta been the point of all this hasn't it? But, no like, you too. Like, Marinette I mean. You're brave and kind and always do what you think is right. You try and help other people no matter what, even if it's hard or scary. That seems like a pretty good role model to me, I mean, you've always been an inspiration so like there isn't much difference."

He figured he would be embarrassed saying something so lame and mushy but he actually wasn't, there wasn't any reason to be embarrassed it was just true. Marinette was amazing. Something about her small gasp though was funny, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Thank you," she finally responded, her voice mixing with the dull distant sounds of the city like it was meant to be there. He laughed and said something like 'No problem,' and to his surprise his voice didn't sound out of place either.

Maybe that meant he really was in it now. As he looked out over the city, feet dangling over a massive drop, he couldn't help but think that that was pretty damn crazy.

"Woah getting' a call," Ladybug suddenly said, and Nino looked over in time to see a small green phone symbol flashing on the back of her yo-yo. He was about to speak when she flipped it open, staring into it at something he couldn't see and saying, "Hey Cat, what is it?"

'Woah Cat Noir is calling her!' Nino thought with an internal excited squeal, but his thoughts were instantly more serious when it dawned on him what the call was probably about.

"Hello my lady," Cat Noir's voice purred, and Nino fought back his snicker when Ladybug rolled her eyes, instantly at attention when Cat said, "It's about that boy you sent me after, Adrien."

"Is he alright?" Lady immediately asked, and Cat Noir was quick to reply.

"Yes! I get why you sent me after him, he's pretty handsome isn't he? You're not playing favorites are you Ladybug?"

Before she could stop herself Ladybug smiled into her hand almost like she was trying to smother it. "Ugh he is isn't he? I'm glad he's okay!"

Nino could hear Cat's distant, 'Wait what?' even if Ladybug seemed to miss it and he bit back another laugh.

"Hear that Nino? Adrien is just fine, so no need to worry," Ladybug said with a grin, and Nino gave her a thumbs up before Cat Noir cut in.

"Nino? Wait are you with somebody? Where are you?"

Ladybug pulled a very Marinette like expression when she realized her mistake, laughing awkwardly as she said, "Uh, oh uh yeah! Haha, uh, Nino was the one who told me Adrien needed finding! We- we were uh-"

Nino could see Ladybug floundering for an excuse, and decided to lean into frame, suddenly faced with Cat Noir's surprised expression.

"Ladybug came by to wait with me until we heard news about Adrien! Yeah so uh, thanks for finding him dude I appreciate it."

Nino grinned as innocently as possible into the camera, Cat Noir's face looking thoroughly puzzled as he said, "Ooooh… kay?"

There was a small space of silence where Nino and Ladybug both grinned very suspicious grins and Cat Noir just stared, before finally he said, "Uh well, your friend is fine. He appreciates your concern."

"Is he there with you?" Nino asked, and quirked an eyebrow at how quickly Cat Noir said no. Sorta weird, but whatever.

"Uh no I took him home so uh, he's home now. Yeah," he said weirdly, the entire phone call and everyone involved being super weird. If this is how smoothly Nino's secret keeping was going to go he was completely screwed.

"Welp, I'm going to take Nino home too then," Ladybug suddenly blurted, laughing awkwardly. "I'll see you for patrol tonight. Oh!" she exclaimed, narrowing her eyes, "And if you bring food again _clean it up_! Poor Nino's got his pockets stuffed with _your_ wrappers cause you didn't throw them out."

Cat Noir blinked once, looking to Nino and then back to Ladybug before saying, "Yeah sure thing. I'll see you tonight then."

"See you tonight," Ladybug agreed, ending the call before anything else could go wrong.

As soon as the call was terminated both Nino and Ladybug sighed heavily, smiling sheepishly at each other.

"We should head down," Ladybug said without any more ado, standing up and supporting Nino. "Let's not make this any more complicated than it already is."

Cat Noir stared at his baton as the call ended, stood on a rooftop and scratching his head. Okay it was safe to say that both of them were being weird. Nino was always sort of weird around superheroes but he was being extra weird, and Ladybug was flubbing her words and all over the place and also she had _absolutely called him handsome_ but he would deal with that in a second.

The thing that stuck out in his mind was the last thing she had said. ' _Poor Nino's got his pockets stuffed with your wrappers cause you didn't throw them out."_

Cat Noir stood for another moment before he turned, looking towards the Eifel Tower standing tall in the distance. Were they… up there?

He held up his baton, taking the camera and zooming in on the top of the tower just on a hunch, and jumped slightly in surprise when he saw exactly that, Ladybug swinging down the side of the tower holding Nino in one arm.

He gaped at the bizarre image for a moment more before lowering the camera, staring in confusion out into space.

Why had they been waiting up _there?_

Nino was trying to get over how emasculating it felt to be carried bridal style over the rooftops of Paris, mostly because Ladybug refused to let him walk and seemed to think it was funny how he gradually got more comfortable.

"Hey you make a pretty good chauffer," Nino joked as they landed on the roof of his apartment building. Ladybug set him down and he smoothed out his shirt, shaking a cramp out of his leg while she smiled at him.

"Well don't get used to it, I'm not carting you all over _all_ the time," she retorted playfully, the two of them standing there a little awkwardly not quite making eye contact. "Man this is gonna take getting used to…" Ladybug said after a small pause, fidgeting with her Yo-yo while Nino scuffed his shoe on the loose gravel.

"We can do it though," Nino said simply, forcing himself to look at her and smile genuinely. "Me and you are in this thing together now, so that means if you ever need to talk about all this super crap I've got you. And if you need someone to cover for you at school I got that too. I might not have any superpowers so I'd make a pretty poor Robin to your Batman, but I can at least do that much."

Ladybug blinked, staring at him with a slightly open mouth before she started to giggle, the giggle growing into a laugh that had her head thrown back. Nino smiled at the sound, and eventually he found himself laughing too, the awkwardness he felt between them burning up in the laughter. When she looked back down her eyes were shining as she said, "That sounds good, though I'd peg you more for Alfred than Robin any day."

Nino was grinning when he suddenly bowed, putting on his best British accent when he said, "Master Wayne."

They laughed a little while more before Nino snapped his finger, pointing at her triumphantly as he said, "Hey B can mean Batman now too!"

She giggled, shaking her head at him with a smirk. "I think I prefer Bug, DJ."

Nino laughed, giving a thumbs up, "So that's us then! DJ and B! This could be the start of something beautiful."

He would remember how she looked just then for a long time, smiling at him with a kind of brightness in her eyes that was so entirely her, hands on her hips while still transformed as Ladybug on the roof of his apartment building. It really did feel like the start of something great, the friendship between a super hero and civilian #14. Now though, he didn't really feel like just another scared citizen of Paris running for cover, because every time there was an attack now he would always be looking over his shoulder for her. Now there was everyone in Paris, Ladybug and Cat Noir, and Nino.

What a weird feeling.

"I'll see you at school DJ," Ladybug said at last, stepping backwards towards the edge of the building, "and remember. It's our secret okay?"

Nino crossed his arms, still smiling happily at her as she prepared to zip away. "Yeah, our secret. You can count on me B, see you tomorrow."

With that she nodded once, and then dove off the edge, flying effortlessly through Paris as her friend watched from the rooftop, adjusting his cap with a grin.

Man, what a weird feeling.

Nino took a deep breath, calming himself a little before heading towards the door, wordlessly making his way home with a million things running through his head.

As he stepped in the elevator he thought to check his phone, seeing a few messages from Adrien confirming what Cat Noir had said and letting him know he was alright. Now though it was Adrien asking where he was.

'Nino- Im home now. Good to know you're okay, what had you been thinking dude? Why did you run off like that?"

Nino pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the front door, walking in on an empty apartment and flicking on the lights. He set his key down with a clatter on the counter, picking up a sticky note left from his Mom. Looks like they went out for some shopping, so he was alone for now. Why sticky notes? He had a phone, why waste the paper.

He walked in to his room and collapsed into his desk chair, swiveling in wide circles as he attempted to process everything. He tossed his headphones to the safety of his bed, taking off his cap and putting it down on his desk once he started to get nauseous and stopped spinning. His phone went off and he frowned down at the message.

'Adrien- Sorry Nino, I didn't mean to freak you out. I wanted to make sure people were okay, but I'm totally fine so don't sweat it. You're okay too?'

Nino huffed out a lung full of air as he typed a quick response.

'Nino- Yeah I'm cool. At least I get more study time.'

He tossed his phone away, sagging into his chair and staring at the ceiling.

He did not have the presence of mind to study, screw that. He was still coping with the fact that things like kwami were even real, he wasn't going to do literature homework. Know what he could do though? Nap. Nap like crazy.

Nino switched off the lights and rolled face first onto his bed, glad that no matter how crazy everything got he would always have his bed.

"You're not a superhero right bed?" Nino said aloud, patting the comforter with one hand while he continued to talk with a muffled voice. "Nah, you're just a bed. Plain old bed, no magical crap."

There was a length space of silence where he actually tried to fall asleep, but then all at once he was groaning clutching a pillow over his head.

"Ugh," he groaned, the events of the past hour and a half flashing through his head. "Ugh, aaaaaah MARINETTE AHH," he shouted into his mattress, thumping it with his fists. It was just too freaking crazy. It was CRAZY. Marinette was Ladybug, and he KNEW that now, he was in on it. He was Alfred, she was Batman, and he was pretty cool with that cause Alfred is super awesome but like- MAGIC. Magic dude, just, freaking magic. Tiny adorable giggling red creatures with cute names and unimaginable power, and cute giggling tiny designer girl with also unimaginable power. But she was still Marinette, she still tripped over her own feet sometimes and still hated history and still loved hamsters. She just also wore spots sometimes and manhandled more terrifying bad guys than he could ever imagine. No big deal, whatevs bro don't mind me, just juggling my bakery shift, Lit. homework and world saving like it's nothing.

How did Marinette deal!? He wasn't even prepped for his test when he had literally nothing else going on, how does she keep her grades up while running off for press events all the time?

Nino settled down a bit, still face down on his bed with his glasses askew.

Hell that must be so stressful, doing all that without having anyone to talk about it with. That sort of explained the way she had been talking before, so genuinely relieved to share something with someone. Like, did she ever get scared?

If you had asked him before he would have said Ladybug didn't get scared of anything, no way no how, she was unstoppable. Now though, well she was a person. She had always been a person, but she had also always been sort of an idea, not quite real you know? But she was Marinette, kind nice Marinette.

And he wondered if she got scared.

If you asked him now he would say that Ladybug was amazing, able to save the day even _if_ she got scared, which in his eyes made her even more unstoppable.

Nino rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling through his smudged glasses wondering if he was going to be of any help. Would just having a shoulder to lean on help her out at all? He hoped so…

He didn't want her dealing with it on her own anymore, not when he had a chance to help. Even if it was picking up a shift at the bakery or doing his homework twice so she could get some sleep at night he would do it. She had saved his life a million times, saved everyone's life, and had always been a good friend. He was going to help, he _wanted_ to help. He wanted to be there for Mari, from here on out.

The day had been exhausting, stressful, and pretty insane, and he had been tired even before everything went down. He started to drift off, his pounding headache from exhaustion finally starting to fade as he fell into a dreamless sleep, pastry wrappers spilling out of his pockets.

The last thing he said came out in a murmur, saying into the emptiness of his room, "I've got your back B."


	4. Chapter 4

Light from the streetlamps outside filtered through the window of Nino's room, long lines of white cast over his desk and discarded backpack until they finally fell on his slowly stirring form. Nino groaned, lifting a hand to rub at the uncomfortable mark his glasses had left on his face. Slowly he sat up, stretching and settling his glasses back in place so he could blink blearily at his way too bright cell phone.

"Aaaaw," Nino whined, grimacing at the glowing '11:38 PM' as it was displayed above a few unread text messages. He was going to be all messed up now, and he was way too hungry to go back to sleep. He had fallen asleep at maybe… 1:30 PM? Damn. Missed lunch and dinner.

Nino stretched again before teetering to his feet, waking up a little as he headed towards the kitchen. He spent the next little while making mac n' cheese while his head rested on the counter, numbly watching the water boil.

Damn that dream had been crazy…

Nino lifted his head a little to pour the noodles in, trying very hard to shake off the last dredges of what he hesitated to call a nightmare.

He didn't remember a lot, the details fading the longer he was awake, but he remembered the gist of it. It had just been him sitting in class with all his classmates, except in Marinette's seat sat Ladybug. It was kind of ridiculous, seeing Ladybug with a school bag doodling in her notes with her cheek resting on one hand. Alya was talking to her regularly, no one seemed to notice except for him. He was the only one who could see the spots, everyone still called her Marinette.

That wasn't the scary part though, actually that part had been sort of funny. He could remember being entertained that he knew it was Ladybug when no one else did. The scary part was when the scene of the dream shifted and the city was under attack. The whole class was backed up against the wall of the gym and standing in front of them all was Marinette, no spots, just a yo-yo in her hand. Cat Noir was at her side just a second later, and the two of them stood against the blurry formless akuma. But he was scared. When everyone else looked out there they saw Ladybug, indestructible Ladybug, the hero who could take on anything. And he saw Marinette. The girl who doodled in her notebook.

And it scared the crap out of him.

Nino refocused when his timer went off quietly next to his head, signaling to him that the noodles were done cooking. He took a deep breath and finished making his food, putting the pot in the sink and heading back through his dark house to eat in his room.

Yeah… that was probably how this was gonna be. He was the guy who knew, and there wasn't really anything he could do. He just knew.

He was gonna have to deal with that.

* * *

Nino sat down heavily in his desk chair, waking up his laptop and plugging his headphones in so he could listen to some music. He started some random playlist of his, not really hearing it as he went about filling his stomach. After a little while he unlocked his phone, deciding the check the few messages he had. He checked the ones from Marinette first.

'M- CN was asking me questions during our run. Guess he spotted us at the tower and was wondering what was up. I just told him I was distracting you because you were worried about your friend, so if he comes around asking just say that.'

'M- Not that he'll find you or anything. Like maybe he would but he doesn't have a reason to really.'

'M- He was playing it off as a joke but I think he was a little miffed I took someone else up to our spot. He seemed to get it when I told him I was distracting you.'

'M- He sorta gets jealous though so just a heads up. I think I defused it.'

Nino grumbled around his spoonful of macaroni, feeling a slight prick of unease at the idea of a jealous Cat Noir. They had just been sitting together he wasn't _that_ possessive was he?

Well, then again Nino sorta had been in his spot. It probably wasn't possessive as much as territorial. Cat Noir seemed pretty easy going though, he had probably already forgotten about it and was just looking for an opportunity to tease his partner.

Nino nodded to himself, his anxiety forging a best case scenario for him and letting him ignore it for the time being. He sent a quick, 'K sounds good' and then switched over to Adrien's contact which also had a few messages in it.

'A- Haha, way to see the silver lining dude. What happened to you after the attack?'

'A- Dude?'

'A- I'm betting you passed out.'

Nino raised an eyebrow before scrolling back a little and realizing these had probably come right when he was falling asleep, his last comment being something about studying. Since he didn't really intend on answering Adrien's question he just locked his phone again, about to toss it away when a new message came in, from Marinette.

'M- You still awake?'

Nino shoveled another spoonful of pasta into his mouth, keeping the spoon there as he used both hands to respond.

'N- I took a nap and just woke up so I'm all backwards. Sorry if I woke you.'

He waited a second and saw that she was responding so he didn't lock it again.

'M- No I was up, don't worry about it. Today was sorta hectic for me so I took a nap too, same thing happened to me . You're not gonna try and go back to sleep?'

Nino thought about his answer for a second, setting his spoon down and leaning back in his chair. Finally he responded.

'N- Nah, I have to study for that Lit. test that got postponed. Also hectic is an understatement.'

Her response was immediate.

'M- Seriously'

Nino gave a short breathy laugh before getting up to put his bowl away in the kitchen sink. As he moved quietly so as not to wake anyone he set his phone down on the counter, not really having anything to say in reply. So far this had been one of the longer text conversations he and Marinette had ever had. They did talk, but mostly at school and any texts they traded were pretty short. Either they hung out in a group with Alya and Adrien, or just her him and Alya. He couldn't remember the last time they had ever done anything just with them, it was always more fun in a group.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when his phone vibrated loudly on the counter, his eyes darting to his parent's bedroom as he quickly picked it up. He waited a second to make sure they hadn't woken up before sighing and checking the message.

It started with, 'Okay I know this is weird.'

Nino raised an eyebrow again, heading back to his room and sitting on the edge of his bed as Marinette finished typing.

'M- But I sorta need to study too. I kind of got lucky not having to take it yesterday. Well, I mean today. And I also kind of want to get out of the house since its so nice out.'

'M- So if you've ever wanted to study on top of city hall we could do that.'

Nino blinked at the message, trying to comprehend what she meant when it really clicked.

Nino gaped at his phone and suddenly he was biting his tongue to keep from laughing excitedly. He typed out an all caps 'DUDE YES' before he was pacing his room in sudden energy. Was he literally just going to sneak out to go study on top of a really high building for no good reason?

Hell yeah he was. That's the kind of perks Alfred gets from Batman apparently.

She sent back a 'Lol,' before asking for his address, which he sent back gladly. This was so stupid and unnecessary he loved it. Even the idea of sneaking out didn't bother him much. He never liked the idea of being dishonest with his parents but now he was in on some pretty big secrets. He was able to write off anything attached to 'superhero stuff' from his conscious pretty easily.

Marinette asked him to meet her outside in an alley since his bedroom window faced a fairly large street despite the fact that it was deserted. She was just being cautious, which he understood.

Nino grabbed his headphones from the computer and stuffed a few pillows under his comforter before grabbing his backpack and a flashlight he had stashed under his bed. Probably wasn't a lot of lighting up on the roof of city hall, and after a moments deliberation he headed towards his kitchen to grab a second one for Mari.

Nino looked once more towards his parent's bedroom to double check that they were still asleep. He kept looking over as he rooted through the pantry, putting a pack of Oreos in his backpack as well as some other snacks and some soda cans. He included the Oreos because in his short conversation with Tikki she had asked him what his favorite kind of cookie was while telling him how much she loved cookies herself. They probably didn't compare to the ones Marinette could give her in the bakery but hopefully she would still like them.

Nino grabbed his house key from the counter and silently left the house, locking the door behind him and half running in excitement towards the stairs, too jazzed to wait for an elevator.

Now he was wide awake, exhilarated from sneaking out and feeling like a secret agent as he dutifully waited in the alley. It was just studying, but for some reason studying in a place he wasn't supposed to seemed way more fun.

* * *

Nino wasn't waiting too long when he heard something land on the roof a good distance up. He couldn't help grinning like a fool when he saw the end of the yo-yo as it swung down a few inches from his face, and even if it kind of scared the crap out of him he still grabbed on and held tight as he rapidly shot upwards.

He didn't land completely gracefully but he didn't fall over either, stumbling a little onto the roof of his apartment building to see a giggling spotted superhero.

"Ready to get carried again?" she asked playfully, seeming to be enjoying herself.

"Man, again?" he whined, but she had already swept him up into her arms, bounding away through Paris.

Nino had eventually stopped looking down every time she jumped between buildings, just watching the sky until they suddenly stopped moving and she set him down on his feet.

"Welcome to City Hall," she said simply, laughing a little as Nino looked around the small flat ledge they had settled on.

"I am seriously going to have to get over my fear of heights hanging with you huh?" Nino joked, still finding it surreal to even be _in_ this situation.

Their spot was tucked out of sight from the street and inaccessible by anyone else, just a little flat ledge that was pretty high up. Even though for sure no one could see Nino still jumped in surprise and looked all over when she detransformed. And then suddenly there was Mari, clutching her school bag and laughing a little awkwardly.

"I know this is weird," she echoed her text, sitting down beside her friend and hanging her feet over the edge. "It's almost midnight and I asked you to come study on top of a random building. That's weird right?" She asked it like she wasn't completely sure what qualified as weird anymore, and he had to agree.

"I said yes didn't I? This is awesome," he said with a grin, settling in and grabbing his book just to prove it. She watched him for a second before laughing and copying him.

"I guess I'm just still adjusting to the fact I even could do this," she said after a short silence, and he nodded in understanding, watching her face in the light the sliver of a moon provided. "Just like, doing something random and Ladybug related just because I can, just cause someone is in on it. It's neat."

Nino met her eyes when she looked over, giving a comforting smile. "Yeah I get you. I was so pumped just sneaking out to go study in a stupid high place for no good reason. Sometimes just doing something for fun is enough of a reason."

Marinette laughed, swinging her feet as she rooted around in her bag. "I appreciate you humoring me. At least we'll get our studying done."

"Hey maybe the threat of plummeting to my death will make this Literature textbook more interesting. Soda?" Nino asked simply, reaching into his bag and pulling out some of his snacks. Seeing them made her laugh, the girl genuinely delighted to do this with someone. A random study session was probably nothing new, but just the idea of doing something with someone who knew everything that was going on… heh… the novelty hadn't worn off to say the least.

Nino passed over a flashlight, leaning back against the wall of the building and idly swinging his feet over the ledge. The only sound in the next few seconds was the two of them popping open their drinks, positioning themselves so they could read. Nino took a few minutes to greet the kwami of the group, giving a hearty, "Hello Ms. Tikki!" She was delighted to discover that he had thought of her as well, and Marinette thanked him a few times with a huge smile as Tikki rooted through the Oreos package.

He wasn't going to forget little Ms. Tikki, she was a part of their group too. The three of them talked happily about anything and everything for a long while, sometimes studying and sometimes seeing who could throw cheezits the farthest, sometimes talking about hero stuff or sometimes talking about school. Nino took the opportunity to tease her about her comment on Adrien's attractiveness from earlier that day, snickering at the way she blushed and threatened to push him off the building. For a little he figured she was just embarrassed, but she quickly became so evasive that he started to suspect something a little greater. For the time being though she refused to comment and he let it slide. Couldn't expect everything from her in one day.

Nino could honestly say he had never had so much fun studying before, enjoying the night air with the company of a tiny magical god and his cheerful classmate. The whole thing was so bizarre and weird that at any given time one of them would just burst out laughing and the others would join in.

If this is what it was going to be like then Nino was just fine with that. Midnight homework on top of random monuments, why the hell not?

It was almost 4:00 AM when Tikki insisted that they head home and at least try and sleep before school and Nino whined before he saw the kwami frown, and he got too frightened to protest anymore. She might be small but she was still a god, and he wasn't going to mess with that if he could avoid it.

Ladybug had just landed and set him down in the alleyway when she laughed again out of nowhere, drawing his attention.

"Something funny about carrying me?" he sassed, folding his arms. "Not everyone can leap tall building in a single bound."

Ladybug giggled, shaking her head and looking at him with shining eyes. "No, no it's not that. I had fun, I know it was nothing, just like studying but it was cool. We probably can't do that a lot, it was kind of stupid of me really. If anyone had seen us together it would have been suspicious but… well we stayed out of sight so it's okay." She looked at him for another second before something in her expression softened and she took a deep breathe, quietly saying, "I guess I just needed to get a little more used to this. But I think I'm good now."

Nino stood holding his bag facing a hero of Paris that he knew to be his friend, and he smiled. It was a wide genuine kind of smile that reached the eyes and made people smile in return, the one that told you the person really was happy.

"Yeah, it was awesome. I kind of needed that too, but I think we can be cool with this now. You need to talk just text me and we can go to City Hall again and just throw cheezits at statues until you feel better. Sound good?"

He could see something shimmer in her eyes when she smiled back, that same genuine kind of smile. "Yeah," she replied with a giggle, "sounds good. Goodnight Nino, see you at school."

"See ya B," he said happily, stepping back to watch her rocket away on a yo-yo string. He watched her go for a little while more before turning on his heel, walking back towards his house to get a few hours shut eye before class. He was totally prepared for that test now, but out of everything that had happened it was probably the most underwhelming thing he could think of. Funny how it had been so important to him the last time he was heading to bed at a ridiculous hour.

He sneaked in without incident, setting his keys down softly in the same place and heading towards his bed room. He was starting to feel just a little tired again as he set his backpack besides his bed, collapsing still dressed and staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow was a new day, well technically it already was a new day, but he marveled at how different things were while still being the same. It was all the same but it was all so… different. Not bad different, just different, in a kind of overwhelming way. However if their little hangout was any indication he was feeling a lot better about the whole thing. Marinette was Ladybug and Ladybug was Marinette, and he knew and they were both okay with that. He was going to have her back as much as he could, be the Alfred to her Batman. If his contributions mostly resided in sassy quips and support he could live with that, he didn't need a miracle stone to make a difference. As long as he was making a difference in her life he figured that was pretty heroic, she was just that important ya know?

Nino fell asleep with his headphones playing softly on the pillow next to him nestled up against his glasses, the DJ they belonged to quietly wondering if he should bring cookies for Tikki again as he drifted off.

She'd probably like that.


	5. Chapter 5

Once again Nino was steadily on route to the school, his headphones on and producing the tempo to which he walked. It was a slower jam then he was used to, a recommendation from Mari this time around, so it actually took him a little longer to get there. He was just one of those guys where walking out of beat with the music annoyed him, unless it was way too fast cause he wasn't going to run.

Man it sure was nice out. What with the like… birds. And people. And the sun.

The song was pretty good, he had never heard the band before. He would probably look them up when he got back home.

He was getting pretty close to the school. Where he would learn maybe and… be.

Holy crap he couldn't even act casual in his own thoughts this was going to be a disaster.

Nino pulled up short a block before the school, ducking into an alley way and throwing his headphones down onto his shoulders with a groan. This was going to be bad, literally the only thing he could think of was knowing something no one else did, something crazy and _really cool_. But he knew what the main issue was. His main problem was Adrien.

He as painfully transparent to his best friend, Adrien could read him like a book. To everyone else maybe he would just come off as a bit weird but Adrien would _know_ something is up. Nino had literally no hope of fooling him, he was going to have to accept that. The only thing left now was to just make sure he didn't figure out what exactly it was. But then there was the problem of Adrien knowing he was deliberately hiding something. Would he be mad? They told each other everything… he didn't like the idea of Adrien thinking he was pulling away or something. He was sure to jump to that conclusion, Nino knew him way too well. Adrien was a lonely guy, he didn't have a lot of friends and hadn't ever been close with many people. He could probably count the people he had opened up to on one hand, so seeing his best friend keep secrets?

Nino sighed heavily, feeling something sort of… cold in his chest. He knew he couldn't say anything, and his reasons were incredibly compelling, but that didn't mean it felt good. To think that was probably what Marinette had to deal with for every person in her life… damn that was a rough deal.

Nino took a moment to breathe deeply, straightening his cap and replacing his headphones before heading out again towards the school. He wanted to be there waiting for Adrien, the simple morning routine feeling slightly more important now.

Nino switched the song to one of his usual ones to pick up the pace and managed to make it up to his usual spot without screaming "MARINETTE IS LADYBUG" so that was good. So far things were going pretty smoothly. Not that literally anything had happened yet that couldn't have gone smoothly.

Nino found himself totally blocking out the music, watching the street like a hawk as he obsessed over what he was going to say to Adrien. What did he _usually_ say to Adrien? It had to stick to what he normally did or he would be given away. He probably said like… 'Yo'. That sounded like him. And good morning? No, that was off. How are you? He didn't usually ask that that bluntly did he? Maybe like a… 'hey man' or something… couldn't do 'Yo' AND 'hey man' that was weird. He should pick-

He jumped a little when he saw Adrien's car pull up, used to having a little more time but maybe he had just been panicking that much. He still hadn't picked his greeting when Adrien got out of the car, closing the door behind him and waving to the driver before heading _straight towards him_. Had he already seen him or was just expecting him to be there? Was he casual?

Adrien walked up the steps and met Nino's eye, freezing him to the spot as he smiled.

"Hey man," Adrien said warmly, looking dumb perfect like he always did. Nino was a little relieved he had used one of his two possible greetings, it made picking much easier.

"Yo," Nino replied, smiling back. Internally though he was panicking, already past his furthest point of planning.

"You look way better today," Adrien noted, Nino silently grateful to not be in charge of the conversation. "Did you actually get some sleep this time?"

"Yeah, uh I crashed as soon as I got home," Nino answered, turning with Adrien as they started to head inside. "I was exhausted. Sorry I didn't text you back but by the time I saw it it was already way too late and I didn't want to wake you up."

"No sweat, I'm glad you got some rest finally you were miserable yesterday. You studied though right?"

God why was Adrien such a good friend it made this so much harder.

"Yup! I'm gonna ace it for sure," Nino said with a grin and to his relief Adrien laughed.

"Well good, I really doubt you'll get lucky with another akuma attack to postpone the test again."

"To be fair that _is_ what you said yesterday," Nino joked, fantastically witty and classically him to a tee. He was killing this why was he even worried.

"Oh so, about yesterday."

Oh god why.

Adrien looked over at him missing how tense Nino suddenly was, too focused on what he was hoping to learn. "What happened to you? Did you wait out the attack in the library?"

Nino focused partially on breathing and walking correctly and also partially on getting the conversation off him as soon as possible. "I managed to make it out of the school," he said, which was true. "But what about you? You're the one who ran into a war zone."

Adrien frowned slightly at that, obviously feeling a little guilty about worrying his friend, but also defensive. "I was checking on people but ducked into a classroom so I was alright."

There was a lull where neither of them spoke, navigating their way slowly towards their classroom.

Adrien spoke again, attempting to prompt conversation. "You wouldn't believe it but I actually met Cat Noir! He showed up looking for me and took me home."

Adrien expected some sort of response but got nothing, Nino looking ahead and casually/not-so casually looking around them. Adrien's brow furrowed slightly in confusion, not having anticipated getting Nino to gush about superheroes being so difficult.

"He said Ladybug sent him isn't that crazy?" he pried, "Why would Ladybug be looking for me?"

There was yet another space of silence where no one spoke, until after a great hesitation Nino said, "I sent Ladybug to look for you because I didn't know where you were. She must have asked Cat Noir to do it."

Adrien's lips quirked into an almost smile as he faked surprise, exclaiming, "Woah! You got to meet Ladybug!? That's amazing! Dude did you like, get to talk to her? What's she like?"

At this point Adrien fully expected Nino to explode with enthusiasm, talking and even gloating non-stop about his interaction with the superhero, but to his absolute shock,

He lied.

"Uh no," Nino corrected a little tensely, "I only saw her for a couple seconds right at the start of the attack. I asked her to keep an eye out for you and she said she would, then she ran off. I didn't see her again after that."

For a second Adrien was incapable of responding, watching as his friend didn't so much as glance over to gauge his reaction, just staring dead ahead and looking like he was contemplating running for the hills.

"Oh," he managed after a moment, the two of them lapsing into silence and heading wordlessly towards their classroom, both on wildly different trains of thought.

Nino was more so obsessing over his word choice, looking for anything incriminating in his phrasing and panicking himself into seeing flaws that weren't there. Why was Adrien so dead set on talking about it? Did he know something? That was impossible right?

Adrien was looking away, barely acknowledging where he was going and instead thinking about the fact that Nino _totally lied_.

He hadn't seen that coming, he hadn't even considered that Nino would be doing anything other than telling anyone who would listen about going to the top of the Eifel tower with Ladybug. He had even been prepared to somehow back up his story so people wouldn't think he was a liar and he could look cool for a little while. But lie? _Why?_

The two boys entered their classroom with no more words exchanged, sitting down and looking in separate directions. They were still a little early for class and only one or two students were even there, but conversation between them seemed out of the question.

Had Ladybug _asked_ Nino to lie? Maybe she had wanted to keep the details of their patrol spot a secret but Nino could have just omitted the part about it being their usual spot. Nino could have even just said 'I met Ladybug!' He was a massive fan, how he wasn't hyperventilating even still was beyond him. But like, even if Ladybug had asked Nino not to tell anyone, he would still tell _him_ wouldn't he? Nino was freaking awful at keeping secrets! And he was so enthusiastic about the heroes of Paris like he had kind of expected a phone call in the middle of the night but he didn't mention it in his texts at all and had even seemed hesitant to admit to _speaking_ with her.

He was actually down right _deflective_. He had **immediately** steered the conversation away from himself, not contributing and probably hoping it would be dropped. And right then as they sat in the classroom he was freaking **tense**. Adrien glanced over after a minute to confirm that yes, he was sweating bullets. Adrien knew Nino knew he knew something was up, if that convoluted line of reasoning made any sense at all. Because something **was** up. Because Adrien _knew_ that Nino had met, spoken to, and hung out with Ladybug after the attack, he had seen them himself.

But the most frustrating thing was he couldn't pry because as Adrien he wasn't _supposed_ to know that. So now he just knew that Nino was keeping something to himself and had literally no excuse to ask about it, and even if he managed to find one he was now sure Nino would clam up even more.

 _Why_ though? What about meeting Ladybug was anything but really exciting? Or was it just Adrien specifically he wasn't going to talk to? Not just talk to but _lie_ to.

Adrien had a sudden thought, staring off into space as he considered something new.

Was Nino upset with him for running off and was keeping quiet as a result?

Adrien looked back over to his friend, finding that he had seemed to calm down somewhat. Nino was now setting himself up for class, looking through notes for that lesson.

Adrien felt a slight pang of guilt again as he watched Nino, looking away before he was caught. Had Nino seriously been that worried? It wasn't totally out of the question… that akuma had been pretty bad news and Nino didn't know he was a superhero. Seeing your totally regular friend run out into danger was probably pretty nerve-wracking. Maybe Nino was embarrassed about how worried he had been, after all Ladybug had felt the need to distract him, get his mind off his still missing friend. Nino must have been pretty freaked out for Ladybug to give that kind of special treatment... Maybe he wasn't gloating about it because he didn't want to explain what they had really been doing up there.

Ah man… now Adrien felt bad, Nino must have been really upset. He was probably actually mad at him. To Nino he must have looked like he was being blatantly reckless, but there was no way to explain that he had left because he needed to.

Adrien heard the bell ring through the building, some students having filtered in during his reverie but still more now flooding in.

Adrien put his head down on his arms, feeling all at once pretty crappy. He couldn't explain why he had done it just like he couldn't explain a thousand things to his best friend. He didn't have any right to be mad at Nino for keeping secrets, he lied to him on a daily basis, and in a big way.

* * *

Nino looked up as slyly as possible after the bell rang, checking Adrien's expression. To his surprise, Adrien looked… upset.

Nino felt that cold feeling burn in his chest again at how genuinely hurt Adrien looked, and he knew it was just like he had predicted. Adrien was convinced he was pulling away from him because he wasn't telling him something, but… there wasn't anything he could do! Nino c _ouldn't_ tell him, but he- ugh… there wasn't any way he could make that clear.

This was already so damn convoluted.

"Hey dude want a cookie?"

Nino blinked once in surprise at hearing himself speak, the words tumbling out almost like a weirdly friendly reflex but he had to roll with it once it was out there, Adrien looking up in subdued curiosity.

"Cookie?" he asked blankly, tilting his head as Nino nodded and reached into his bag.

"Yeah I got chocolate chip, that's your favorite right? Here." Nino found his small bag of cookies for Tikki and took out two, one for himself and one for Adrien. He handed it over to the slightly confused model, his friend looking up at him curiously.

"Oh," Adrien replied, taking the sweet, "Thank you. Yeah it is."

Nino nodded and took a bite of his own cookie, watching Adrien's face as he ate his own. He still seemed subdued, but he also seemed better for it, like Nino being nice to him helped dissuade whatever negative tangent he had been on. Hopefully if he kept things normal Adrien wouldn't feel totally cut out, even if he still couldn't say what was on his mind.

Nino was about to strike up a random conversation when he heard a familiar laugh from the hallway, turning to see Marinette and Alya walking in and laughing together at some unheard joke.

Marinette was dressed as she always was, holding her bag like she always did and smiling as normally as she always had, putting Nino and his secret agent ways to shame almost instantly. She had a lot more experience keeping secrets then he did, but still he had to admit he was a little relieved when she jumped slightly at making eye contact with him. So he wasn't the only one feeling a tad out of place.

Alya had kept walking, not noticing that Marinette had paused next to Nino's desk, the designer looking first at him and then at the cookie that he was eating with an amused smile.

"Cookies this early?" she teased, succeeding in instantly making Nino feel a little more normal. He was sure they had their study hang out to thank for that.

"I had a few on me," he said evasively, shrugging his shoulders and smiling at her. "Want a few? Even if you don't eat them you could put them in your bag for later."

He swore you could almost see her eyes shine as she caught his meaning, smirking again as he passed her a generous handful.

"Thanks," she giggled, rolling her eyes at him and making him chuckle as she finally headed towards her desk, putting the cookies in her clutch.

Nino looked over his shoulder, smiling as he saw her stash the cookies and tracked her for another second as she sat down, still grinning to himself as he started to turn back around. However he didn't manage to complete his rotation to look forward before he found himself caught in Adrien's questioning gaze, one eyebrow raised.

"What?" Nino tried to ask innocently, taking another bite of his cookie as Adrien's eyebrow creeped even higher, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Huh," he said simply, looking Nino up and down once to make him sweat a little before leaning in and whispering, "Lingering eyes much?"

Adrien nearly split his lip from biting it so hard to keep from laughing, watching as Nino's eyes shot wide and he inhaled a lung full of cookie crumbs, chocking so hard and suddenly that his cap flew off and onto the desk.

Adrien snorted once, still biting his lip as Nino coughed and tried to talk before he couldn't take it anymore, laughing so hard he almost fell out of his seat.

The more Nino flailed and coughed trying to deny it the harder Adrien laughed, every student looking over curiously and kind of laughing too as Nino floundered.

Once his wits were a little more about him Adrien managed to pass his friend a water bottle from his bag, still snickering as Nino used his first real breath of air to lean in and whisper hoarsely, " _I did not!"_

Adrien couldn't even respond, reaching his hands up to his face to smother his laughter as the teacher walked in. Their red headed instructor quickly called the class to order, leaving Adrien to laugh silently into his hands as Nino still coughed a few crumbs loose from his throat. Adrien could tell Nino still wanted to defend himself but had lost the chance as class started.

Adrien looked forward, still smiling and trying not to chuckle aloud every time he felt Nino look over at him with a humiliated grimace.

Adrien didn't really blame his friend, Marinette was beautiful but he _could_ make an attempt to be a little more subtle about it. He hadn't appeared to be like, checking her out, Adrien would have scolded him otherwise, but he had definitely watched her go in a lingering sort of way and his reaction just proved it. It didn't mean a lot but hell it had been _really_ funny. Adrien was positive he was going to get a punch in the arm for it later, but surprisingly the idea sort of cheered him up. If he got scolded by an embarrassed Nino that would be way more normal than their morning had been.

Adrien's thoughts drifted back towards their confusing mostly one sided conversation, sobering him up slightly as the teacher started to write a series of notes on the board.

It had definitely been weird but dwelling on it wasn't going to do a lot. If Nino wanted to keep his interaction with Ladybug to himself for whatever reason than that was his business, it was just figuring out why that was kind of confusing. If it was because he had made Nino angry then well… Adrien sighed, flipping his pencil between his fingers and attempting to start copying down what was on the board.

He was Cat Noir, and being Cat Noir meant getting to the scene of the attack as soon as possible. In the future if he could avoid it he would get away from Nino in a slightly less 'oh my god my friend is going to die' sort of way, but guaranteeing that was pretty much impossible. He just genuinely hoped he wouldn't be cornered like that again, forcing him to leave an even angrier and more worried Nino behind in an attack zone.

Knowing his luck though?

Adrien frowned at the thought alone.


	6. Chapter 6

"Coo coo coo cooo doodle doo

Chant this charm, you'll feel so good!

Coo coo coo coo doodle doo

The charm will make your dreams come true"

Nino was sat in his bedroom cross-legged on his mattress with a gamecube controller in his hands, blissfully relaxed as he deliberately ignored his homework in favor of playing the happiest game he could think of. Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg. He was singing the lyrics to the cheerful upbeat theme song as he guided his character through an inexplicably chicken themed adventure, which was almost as entertaining a concept on its own as the actual game was itself. He seriously still couldn't believe this game was real, it was just- it was so ridiculous and colorful. And chicken themed.

"Nananananana," he continued to hum, bouncing slightly as he indulged in this pleasure. When people asked him what games he liked he'd probably say something cooler like Halo or something, because explaining that the plot of his favorite video game was to rescue the chicken gods and return daylight to the sacred chicken land was-

Well. No one needed to know about it is all.

Marinette would adore this game but maybe he should pretend to not know about it first. Or well, he didn't want to lie cause it was embarrassing Marinette would tease but she wouldn't care. Didn't matter right then though, she was way too busy to start a new game, she barely had free time as it was.

As Nino leaned against his bedroom wall and forged on through defeating the evil crow invasion his thoughts turned idly towards his friend. It had been almost two weeks now since he first found out, and yup Akuma attacks were just as awful to sit through as he imagined they would be. Thankfully it had been sort of quiet and there had only been one since then, but still. Dwelling on the fact that his friend was out there getting thrown through the air by a huge baddie and its henchmen had been one of the main reasons he restarted his Billy Hatcher file. Running through colorful chicken land calmed him down surprisingly effectively, and at the time it had been his main crutch besides checking his phone again and again.

The phone call from a number he didn't recognize set him at ease more than the game could ever manage though, and it was only when he got the call from the Bug Phone that he was actually able to breathe again.

The next time he had seen Marinette in person after the attack had led to a pretty tense conversation in the school's hallway, where she tried once again to explain to him that she was more than capable, and he acknowledged once again that she was totally right. Didn't mean jack though.

Thinking about school forced a sigh from between his teeth, disturbing the happy song and making him feel sort of tired again. It wasn't that anything specifically had happened, it was more so that nothing had if that made any sense. He just continued to know something no one else did, and it mostly succeeded in making the day seem just a little bit longer. Relations between himself and Adrien had been good, but there were a few times where Adrien would give him a questioning look, almost always when some kind of conversation in class had turned towards Paris' superheroes.

Nino sighed again, taking out his agitated frustration on a crow in the game. Poor little bastard was splattered before he even got an attack out.

Adrien hadn't forgotten about their weirdly tense morning even if he was leaving it alone, and Nino knew he suspected that something was different. He felt like Adrien was totally normal like 80% of the time and then someone for whatever reason would mention Ladybug and his eyes would slid over to him.

It wasn't accusatory or doubting, it was just… aware. Nino found himself hoping more than once that enough time would just make it go away.

Nino didn't look down right away when his phone vibrated, still stewing silently over a problem he couldn't fix. He ignored it again when it went off a little more persistently, but was finally pulled from his thoughts when it actually started to ring.

He raised an eyebrow at his phone sitting in his lap, wondering who needed him so suddenly that they weren't willing to wait for a text. He paused the game immediately when he saw it was Marinette.

"Hey!" he said suddenly, holding his controller with one hand and his phone in the other. He was about to continue speaking when she cut him off, her words rushed and piled together.

" _Whatareyoudoingrightnow?"_

Nino blinked, looking at the bright colorful character dressed in a chicken suit on his T.V.

"Nothing. Why?"

 _"I need you to make a cover for me like right right now, like this second right now."_

"Wait what?" Nino blurted out, instinctively saving his game with one hand because he had a feeling he wasn't hanging around.

" _I need to be in spots in like six minutes and I need your help like, now, please!"_

Nino's eyes widened slightly as she pleaded. His brow furrowed. "Don't you have like a press thing uptown right now? The stream starts in ten minutes!"

 _"I_ _ **know**_ _,"_ her voice responded curtly, _"I was about to leave to make it in time but my parents need my help in the bakery and won't let me leave! I can't sneak out and a huge delivery rush is about to happen but I need to be there_ _ **now**_ _!"_

Nino bolted, turning off his T.V and bedroom light as he sprinted from his room and out into his house. He snatched his keys off the counter, shouted goodbye to his mother who barely had time to look up and was out the front door before he had even said, "What excuse am I supposed to give for you!?"

" _I don't know!"_ she whined, " _it's going to look really bad if I don't show as LB, I need to be there I seriously can't skip but my parents need my help! I could really use your help but I have no clue how to make this work."_

"Okay, okay I got this I can figure- I got this," he huffed, clearing his building and screeching to a halt just before sprinting out towards the bakery. With slightly more foresight he doubled back, heading down to the lower level garage and fumbled for the key to his bike lock as he rapidly planned with Marinette.

"Okay you've got to be at the thing which means the excuse we need is for your parents right?!"

" _Yeah but- ugh I don't know! They won't let me leave because they need someone manning sales!"_

"I can do sales," he breathed out heavily, grappling with his bike and rushing it up the steep slope leading into the garage while barely keeping a hold on his phone. "I can do that what if we swap?"

" _My parents are going to think I called in a favor so I wouldn't have to work!"_

"Is that not whats- happening?" Nino huffed, getting to the top of the hill and glad he still had the presence of mind for snark. That meant he could plan. She was going to speak again but he cut her off, saying, "Meet me out front with a notebook and a pen I'm on my way!"

Nino jammed at the screen to end the call, shoving his phone into his pocket and jumping up onto his bike. It was time for Alfred to cover for Bruce Wayne, his first call to action had arrived.

Nino must have broken a dozen street laws as he pedaled at break neck speed towards Marinette's house, his hat nearly flying off as he refined his half-baked plan. Actually saying half-baked implied that it was at all baked. What he had now was a handful of ingredients and two bakers expecting a cake. This was stupid and off the cuff but he just needed to get Marinette in the clear, planning every counter he could think of as he rounded the final street corner.

He spotted his friend stood anxiously out of the sidewalk, yelling in fright as he screeched to a halt and almost dropping the notebook she was holding.

Nino didn't even say hello, they were pushing the deadline way too close for pleasantries. He was panting heavily as he leapt from the bike, leaning it against the wall of the bakery and snatching the items he had asked for from her hands in one teetering motion.

"Nino!" she hissed, "Whats the pla-!" but he was already through the door, practically tumbling into the open space where customers usually perused and making even a massive man like Tom jump in surprise.

"Nino!?" Tom exclaimed as his daughter's friend was soon followed by his daughter herself, looking equally as confused and startled as Nino struggled to get a lung full of air. "What's the rush for?! Are you alright?"

"I- I will be-" Nino huffed, clinging to the counter and cursing his lack of athleticism. "I will be Mr. Cheng- sir but I need a favor- please."

Tom was staring at Nino in confusion when Sabine walked out from the back room to investigate the commotion, arriving just in time to see Nino stand upright holding his notebook and pen close to his chest.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cheng I-" he swallowed, trying to cut off his panting long enough to spew what he hoped to be a marvelous lie. "I am doing really poorly in my h-history class. I've got a C right now and- I need to bring my grade up so I asked for an extra credit a-assignment. So I have to-" he huffed again, planning wildly. "I have to do a work experience project before the end of today and I really need your help."

Sabine gaped in surprise, her expression mirrored by her husband as Nino forged on. "I procrastinated and I shouldn't have but I'm gonna be totally screwed if I don't get this done by today. I have to work in a place of business for at least one-" he looked back at Marinette, seeing her eyes widen slightly so he edited his statement, "two hours without pay and then write a report on it. I've got nowhere else to do it and I promise I won't get in the way!"

Tom and Sabine stared in shock a moment more, looking back at their daughter who quickly tried to smile innocently.

Tom was the first to break the silence, walking around the corner to grab Nino by the shoulder and hopefully reassure him. "Nino of course you can! Don't panic we'll help right Sabine?" Tom asked, casting a look over his shoulder.

"Of course!" Sabine reciprocated, looking all around in a hurry as she tried to figure out a task. "Uh, we have a rush coming in that Tom and I need to handle but I'm sure Marinette can show yo-"

"No!" Nino suddenly cut her off, making everyone jump again as he laughed nervously. "Haha, uh no I'm sorry uh, I can't have another classmate working at the same time I am i-it will make it not count I'm sorry! I know this is totally uncool of me but I promise I've worked counters before and I will do just as good a job as Marinette would have done!"

Tom still looked a little lost but Sabine looked over at her daughter, thinking it over and shooting glances at the door. "We really have that truck soon…" Sabine speculated quietly, looking once more at Marinette before saying, "Well I… I want to help your friend honey, he really seems like he needs this done by today. Nino can take your spot."

Sabine and Tom raised an eyebrow when Marinette cheered, everyone gathered watching as she quickly tried to cover it up with a nervous giggle. Nino sighed heavily in relief, glad to have come through at the cost of his lungs. And also the cost of his afternoon but… well working the bakery wasn't the worst thing ever, and from Marinette's glowing smile he could tell his efforts were appreciated. He had to admit, he felt a swell of pride as she started to head back into the house, knowing that even if he had to do it with an apron on he had helped out a superhero.

"I'm gonna be uh up in my room then," Marinette laughed dismissively, nearly falling over a stool as she backed up towards the stairs. "We wouldn't want someone to look in and see us both down here and Nino to g- yeah you get what I mean."

Nino gave her a conspirator's wink as she headed upstairs, no doubt to dive out her window and off to the event. The grateful smile she gave him made it more than worth it.

Nino stood in the bakery for a few moments after Marinette sprinted away towards her room doing nothing in particular, just feeling rather chuffed with himself until Tom casually cleared his throat.

"Uh ah right!" Nino laughed, remembering a second too late that the parents were still there. "Counter duty, I've got it, no sweat."

"You've never done it before," Sabine said a little uncertainly, looking at the fidgety boy with a motherly smile. "There shouldn't be way too much for you to do, but you will have to man the store while Tom and I handle everything in the back. We've got a truck coming as well as a delivery to handle so… well here," she said suddenly walking over towards one of the displays. "Maybe you should mark down the prices."

"Uh right!" Nino repeated, rushing to use his borrowed notebook. He struggled to keep up with Marinette's mother as she very quickly listed prices and exceptions, crossing a few lines out and hurried jotting down short form notes. Tom chimed in as well which forced him to start memorizing things just so he could write it down when his hand finally caught up. This much for this, that much for… two no three actually if it's sold in a bundle and he had to package things too so this package went with these desserts but not for the whole loaf breads and holy crap why was there so much stuff.

The poor DJ was starting to flounder slightly when finally he had everything down, at least he hoped it was everything, mostly because that was when Tom and Sabine vanished to go handle their business. So if he didn't have everything then… well.

Nino walked to stand behind the register, looking around curiously at all the treats and the machines that made them visible in the back.

He looked down, tapping his fingers against the metal of the register. He started to mess around with a beat, tapping a few different things to change the sound. He ground his teeth slightly.

…so did he just… stand here? Until someone came he guessed but, wow.

He was very bored.

 _Ding!_

Nino snapped his attention forward when the bell chimed pleasantly, announcing the entrance of a middle aged man with his hands in his pockets.

"Yo!" Nino greeted happily, "What can I get for you?"

* * *

Nino worked diligently and with a smile, even when it did get a little overwhelming. He made a few mistakes but he managed to fix them, doing his best to be as friendly as possible even when he was tapping his foot in frustration. He didn't always get that bit totally right, unable to completely fake his way through an interaction with a particularly insufferable person but eh, he did a pretty good job.

The DJ sighed in relief when Sabine came back to the front, checking his work and thanking him.

"Tom and I are about done, so once you're done with this customer you can go up and see Marinette if you'd like."

"Uh yeah, totally! Thanks Mrs. C," he replied quickly, smiling at her as she walked back towards where Tom had been loading supplies.

"Sorry to keep you from your friend on my account," the old man standing nearby suddenly spoke, looking up from the display with a kind smile. "I'll make my choice soon I promise."

Nino laughed, adjusting his cap and grinning. "Nah its cool dude take your time! Lots of cool stuff in here I don't blame you for not knowing which to go for."

The old man smiled again, a light kind of mirth in his eyes as he turned back towards the sweets.

Nino didn't expect him to speak again, when suddenly the man said, "I haven't seen you working in here before, getting a job so young is admirable."

"Oh I'm not getting paid," Nino corrected, checking over his numbers jotted down in the notebook. "I'm just helping out a friend is all."

Nino was distracted, checking his fake form he had made on a different page to have Tom and Sabine sign, so that way his story came off a little more genuine. He didn't think much of it when the man responded, "You've worked hard for no return in order to aid a friend." Nino looked up, catching that same kind smile reflected in the glass of the dessert case. "I find that more admirable."

Nino watched the old man's back curiously for a second, not really sure how to respond besides the thank you he quickly uttered. It seemed like a weirdly specific compliment, but maybe he was just sort of old.

Still rockin' the Hawaiian shirt though.

The old man selected a small handful of treats and paid, chuckling to himself when Nino moved from around the counter to hold open the door for him. Couldn't be easy getting through doors when you looked old enough to blow away in the wind.

"Very admirable," the old man chuckled again, nodding his head as he passed through the door and thanking the young lad before heading off towards wherever it was such an old man needed to be.

Nino watched him leave for a little while before shrugging, heading inside to finish his cover story and get his signatures. However his task wasn't yet done, and he knew for a fact he could easily spend another hour up in Marinette's bedroom by himself pretending like they were hanging out. He pouted a little at the idea of now not even having the distraction of working, but at least he could use his phone now and catch the end of the stream.

* * *

"You did a great job Nino, you were more of a help to us than we were to you!" Tom laughed, signing the paper he was given and ushering Nino up the stairs.

"I really appreciate it Mr. C you guys really saved me," Nino continued to cover, branching off from Tom to start heading towards Marinette's room.

"Stay as long as you like, if you're here through dinner let me know so we make extra," Tom called just as Nino was opening the hatch, and with a final thank you and a smile Nino closed it again, now totally on his own.

Nino stood up, stretching his back and looking around. It was empty, as he suspected, but it was a really comfortable room. It was pleasant and interesting, filled with stuff and thank god a computer. He probably wouldn't totally die up here then.

He plopped down in Marinette's desk chair, spinning a few times and checking the texts on his phone, getting settled to wait for the super bug to find her way home.

He wasn't really looking when he reached over to wake up her desktop, hoping she didn't have a password set so he could listen to some jams to kill time. His peripheral lit up pink, like crazy pink but he wasn't surprised, everything in the room was pretty pink. He locked his phone, glancing up and chanting 'Big money no whammies!' in his head in hopes of no pas- wooooah. Woooah WOOAH.

WOAH. Wow. Wow, that uh-

That was a lot of Adrien right there


	7. Chapter 7

Nino stared wide eyed at the desktop image for a while. Then a little while more, tracing the hearts around his best friend's face with a stunned gaze. His mouth was set in a thin line, the boy slowly turning in the desk chair to sweep his vision across the entire room.

There was another one, and uh another three or so kind of cluttered on the wall… one was framed. They were all modeling photos of his, available to the public at least. If they had been unsteady camera shots taken from a bush Nino might have needed to call somebody but uh… it didn't seem to be at that point yet.

Jesus Christ what in the hell was he looking at right now.

"Mmm…" Nino mused aloud, unable to maintain his silence even though he was alone. His body needed some sort of outlet for this very sudden VERY prominent information.

Was this a little excessive? Undoubtedly, he'd say just shy of obsessive but uh… Hm.

Well this explained some things.

The staring and the freezing up and the blushing and the stuttering and- and the everything really. Like literally everything about her demeanor around Adrien had pointed to this. How did he miss this? How did anyone miss this she was obviously very comfortable displaying her affection in her room. Yeah looking at it now this would be a pretty compelling reason behind the fact that he had never been in her bedroom before.

He sucked in a lungful of air between his teeth, hands on his head as he leaned back in the chair.

"Mm… Mhm," he continued to vocalize, taking a final look around before finally it busted through his shock. And he laughed his ass off.

His laughter could probably be heard through all of damn Paris but he couldn't help it, he was so freaking giddy this was just- this was SO FUNNY.

SHE HAD A FRAMED PICTURE. Oh my god what the hell, this was just- he kept laughing, his sides starting to hurt and his eyes watering.

This was CRAZY. Oh there was no way he wasn't getting in on this mess, oh hell no. He was going to make this happen if it was the last thing he did. Wasn't really in his Alfred duties to be a matchmaker but now that he saw Marinette's obvious uh… interest? He was NOT staying quiet about this.

They'd be perfect! He had actually considered it before, she was so bright and warm and caring. Didn't Adrien need some of that? And well it wasn't just that, Adrien was a genuine and good guy. They'd be happy, it would be good!

And there was also another motive, because to be completely honest Nino was a little peeved she had hidden this from him. He was in on a big secret already it wouldn't have been a stretch to tell him about this too. He could have helped, he was GOING to help but first he was going to have a little fun. Just a tid bit a very very small amount of fun.

A grin spread across Nino's face as he blinked tears of laughter from his eyes, giddy chuckles slipping out every so often as he navigated away from Marinette's very artsy background in favor of bringing up a browser.

The giggles continued as he brought up one of Marinette's frequented sites, and pretty much everyone's most frequented site, the Ladyblog. He saw what he was after right away, when the Ladyblog was live whatever was being streamed was always right on the main page.

Oh god this was gonna be good.

Nino clicked the moving footage off mute and took a moment to enjoy the scene.

Alya had somehow managed to get very close to where the heroes were sat in city hall, right in the middle of the reporters present. Nino looked over the heroes' expressions, seeing that they were being polite and friendly but they were obviously both a bit bored. They had been sitting and answering questions as well as meeting with visiting diplomats to put Paris in a good light for like, hours now. As some stuffy politician was talking Alya remained focused on the heroes, so he could see when Cat Noir shot Ladybug a 'kill me' look that made Alya giggle.

" _Looks like our black cat is getting a little bored, hope no one important saw that!"_

Nino snickered, pulling out his phone and navigating to his recent calls. "You guys bored? Well this ought to be a welcome distraction then.

Was he being mean? No, well maybe a little but oh there was no way he was letting this pass.

Nino grinned happily when he saw that number he didn't recognize and had since saved under the contact 'B'. And it went STRAIGHT to the bug phone.

* * *

Across Paris and trapped within the stuffy overcrowded main room of the city hall, Ladybug patiently answered what felt like the millionth question that day.

"Uh well we have no intentions of leaving Paris, we are your heroes and are here to protect, we'll do that for as long as you need us."

There was a pleased murmur through the press and a smile from the mayor that almost looked like gloating. He obviously had been bragging about having heroes, but that also went hand in hand with having constant supervillain attacks.

"Cat Noir!" a reporter called, snapping the cat to attention from where he had been fiddling with his bell.

"Yes?" he asked in that charming way he had, leaning forward to receive the next volley of questions.

Ladybug took a deep breath, leaning back and glad to have a short break. They HAD to be almost done, right?

She jolted slightly when she felt a vibration at her hip, startled to have it go off. She looked down with a questioning look, knowing not many people had that number. Like two actually (maybe the mayor and a news reporter just from her calling them) and one of those two people was sitting next to her, having also looked over curiously at hearing her phone go off. The look Cat gave her before turning back to answer the question said pretty much exactly that, 'Who has your number besides me?'

Ladybug reached down and grabbed her compact, holding it below the table they were sitting at and out of sight as she flipped it open to find a text message from the contact 'DJ'.

Crap was his shift over? She really needed to get back-

But the text wasn't about the bakery, or anything like that.

It read: 'DJ- I've got to say I'm really digging the artistic vibe you've got going with this Adrien collage. Very high res bro, but I'm thinking this framed one with the little hearts on it is my favorite.'

Ladybug couldn't help the mortified scream/gasp that escaped her before she could clamp her teeth down, her entire body heating up enough to rival a kiln. Part of her logically knew that she had a LOT of people looking at her, livestreams not included, and every single one of them had just seen her freak out. Logically she understood that seeing a superhero blush so fiercely and look like she was one second away from a full blown freak out was probably pretty weird, but she also knew that there was NO WAY she could cover it now. Not that she was entirely concerned with that, even though she should be.

Because Nino was ABSOLUTELY in her room.

She didn't even know Cat was trying to talk to her until he physically shook her shoulders, forcing her to look up at him. She managed to close her compact just before he could read it, obviously pretty interested in what the hell she had just read, but the only thing she could focus on right now was _running._

 _"_ **What happ-"** Cat was starting to say, looking very concerned at how _crazed_ she looked. Cameras were flashing and the spotlight was on, but nonetheless.

"IHAVETOGO" she suddenly shouted, making Cat Noir jump in fright as she tore away from him, sprinting with everything she was worth away from him and out a nearby window.

"LADYBUG WAIT," he called after her, scrambling over their table and trying to dive through the mob that was sprinting to the windows to try and get a shot of her.

Cat had literally no idea what the hell could have POSSIBLY been sent to her that would make her freak out like that, out of _nowhere_. It **had** to have something to do with whoever had contacted her, but it wasn't like she was terrified or anything she just looked…

Embarrassed?

Cat Noir fought through the mob, determined to follow her and calm her down at the very least but tracking her was easier said than done. She was fast on a good day but with whatever the hell _that_ had been motivating her? He was gonna have to pick up the pace.

* * *

"Oooh she's coming to kill me," Nino said aloud to himself, watching as Ladybug all at once vanished from the livestream. He had had a pretty intense laugh at watching her react and did feel sort of bad, but he couldn't quite contain the giddy giggle he had anyways.

It was just so _funny_.

"Welp," he said to himself in the empty room, slowly standing up and taking a deep breath. "Time to run."

* * *

And run he freaking _did_.

Nino tore out of the bakery with a hurried excuse and grabbed his bike, needing every ounce of speed he could get. The amount of distance between City Hall and the bakery was long for most people, but a very pissed superlady with a crazy strong superyo-yo?

She was gonna get him for sure, but the fun part of the game now was seeing how close he could get to home before he was lassoed off his bike.

* * *

"Where is she _going_!?" Cat exclaimed to himself, forced to halt and watch in exasperation as Ladybug was suddenly off again. He couldn't even get close to her she was moving so fast, and he thought he had actually gotten lucky when she had paused at the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Why of all places in the world she had run _there_ he had no idea, but she had only stopped for a millisecond before taking off in an entirely new direction.

Cat sighed, totally confused but determined to keep trying, so he leapt from his place and continued to track her.

He still couldn't get close and she didn't seem to hear him calling out to her, but he could sort of track the flash of red as it flew through the air. In his pursuit he was able to start closing the distance because she seemed to be scanning the streets, her search for… _something_ forcing her to slow down, but just when he thought he was finally in shouting distance she took off like a bullet, darting with blinding speed down the building and into the street.

Cat clawed to the edge of the roof to look down just in time to see Ladybug practically _tackle_ some guy off his bike, moving so fast and whisking the guy away so quickly into the darkness of an alleyway that the only thing people saw was a bike crashing to the ground.

"What the _hell!?_ " Cat gasped, leaping across the street and onto the rooftop of one of the buildings creating the alleyway.

His intention was to leap down and keep Ladybug from _wrecking_ some civilian but all at once he halted, his cat ears swiveling as he suddenly heard, " _Why did you go in there!?_ "

Cat Noir stopped, instinct telling him to stay out of sight as he crawled towards the edge to look but guilt twisted in his stomach. This seemed… bad. Like spying. He was spying on her but-

He looked over, catching sight of a familiar bright red baseball cap, currently being worn by a guy pinned beneath Ladybug.

Nino was struggling to balance between talking and laughing as he said, "I had to as part of the cover I didn't do it on purpose!"

Cat froze, his eyes going wide in complete and utter disbelief because- w- why the _hell_ was Ladybug after **Nino!?**

Cat continued to gawk at the weirdest and most unexpected clashing of his two worlds when Ladybug suddenly stood up, dropping her face in her hands and groaning.

"Oh my god I can't believe this I can't BELIEVE this!"

Nino was still on the floor, seemingly having decided that since the chances of him getting tackled again were pretty high he should just stay where he was, and despite how much of a loose wire Ladybug was at the moment Nino was still grinning like crazy.

"Hey B you don't need to freak I think it's adorable!" Nino sat up, dusting himself off a little as 'B' continued to pace and groan wretched mortified groans into her hands. Nino watched this behavior for another moment before adding, "I'm not gonna say anything, haven't I proven already that your secrets are safe with me? I want to help!"

That snapped Ladybug to attention, the hero whirled to face him and point a finger in his face.

"NO, no helping no nothing you can't tell him _any_ of this!"

"Okay then _you_ tell him," Nino retorted, shaking his head at how dramatically she squealed.

"I CAN'T no one was supposed to know about this, oh my god."

Cat Noir watched as his best friend from school looked up at his superhero partner and asked a pointed question. "No one? Not even Adrien?"

Cat Noir froze, hearing his own name almost stopping his heart, only the shock of Ladybug shout enough to keep it beating.

" _Especially_ Adrien!" she hissed, and Cat Noir's heart beat even fast, pounding in his chest. What the hell was happening here?

"B I can _help you_ ," Nino interjected, finally rising to his feet and giving her a pleased grin that seemed unaffected by her outrage. "Adrien is my best friend I can make it happen!"

Ladybug was threatening as she said, "Nino is you say even a _word_ about this to Adrien I will never talk to you again I swear. You can't, please tell me you won't tell him, promise me you won't."

Cat Noir looked on, his claws digging into the rain gutter as he could see the tension in Nino's shoulders, and the slow eventual sigh of defeat.

"I won't," he finally said, crossing his arms. "I swear I won't but I'm serious I think it's _great_! I really think you should tell him, he would _love it_!"

Ladybug seemed shocked at that, pulling back and holding her arms close to her like she was self-conscious. Her voice was a lot softer as she said, "What would make you say something like _that_!?"

She didn't seem to catch how his eyes flickered upward.

"Because I'm freaking serious!" Nino exclaimed excitedly despite his hesitation, jumping in place. "Do you have **any** idea how much Adrien talks about Ladybug? And all the crap he says?" Nino's voice dipped into a terrible impression of him, saying with exaggerated hand gestures, "' _Oh Ladybug is so perfect! Nino she's so great and beautiful and strong. She's so kind and wonderful, she really is so amazing!"_

There were two gasps, one from Ladybug and one from Cat Noir, but luckily no one heard the second one. In his place on the rooftop Cat's entire body was instantly _burning_ , the feline forced to clamp his teeth shut to keep from screaming in humiliation. What the hell was Nino doing why was he doing this!?

He barely had the presence of mind to continue listening, but her words cut through his humiliation and left him stunned.

"W-what? Does… Adrien really say that?"

Cat Noir was tensed so tightly he thought he would break apart, his mind reeling in disbelief and confusion as Nino smiled happily, saying "He does, every time heroes come up Adrien gets all starry eyed, you've been his celebrity crush for AGES."

Cat Noir was screaming in his mind, half a second away from tackling Nino himself before his eyes trailed over to Ladybugs face and saw that she was…

Blushing.

And then, in the gentlest voice she stopped his heart.

"Adrien likes me back?"

For Cat Noir that moment on the rooftop stretched for an eternity, her words and the soft tone of her voice sinking into him and rendering him breathless. It was as clear and penetrating as the ring of a bell in an empty room.

Nino remained unaffected by this life altering moment for the two heroes, smiling happily. "Yup. He's pretty wrapped up in it to be honest, if I told him Lady Luck was crushing on him he'd lose his freaking mind."

' _Nino is the greatest friend_ ' Cat Noir's thoughts all at once rebooted, rushing together in a senseless blur. " _Nino is the greatest friend in the history of the fucking world what the hell is happening right now._ "

But in the middle of Cat Noir's glowing appreciation for his music loving friend, he saw something… wounded pass over Ladybug's face.

"It wasn't supposed to be like that…" she said quietly. Cat Noir felt something that was a mix of hot and cold writhing in his chest as she said, "I didn't want him to just… love Ladybug. I want him to love me. Just… plain old me."

Nino's face set in a sudden seriousness that had always impressed Adrien, his friend's ability to lock things down and take control sometimes overwhelming. It happened almost exclusively for his friends.

"Hey, don't you dare call yourself plain old anything. You don't need to be Spots to be absolutely amazing, you've never needed those damn earrings to blow people away. _You_ are something else B, not just Ladybug, _you_. And Adrien will see that too if you let him."

The silence that followed was all encompassing, Cat Noir feeling as if that one dingy alleyway was the only place in the world. As if that moment was the only moment of time that had ever come to pass, or ever would. Ladybug was quiet, looking down at her hands.

"I don't know how to tell him Nino… I don't know how to do it."

The doubt and uncertainty saturating that sentence was the most jarring thing for Cat, hearing such wounded words come from his lady cutting him more deeply than he could have anticipated.

It had been a long time since he had seen Ladybug doubt herself like that. And it was because of him.

Cat didn't look away from his lady even when Nino chuckled quiet, his voice suddenly conveying his understanding.

"Hey," he said softly, "You don't need to know how to do nothing right now. Just cause I found out today doesn't mean he has to. If you aren't ready to talk to him then don't yet, you've got time B. I'm not rushing you."

"What if the only thing Adrien thinks is worth loving is the hero he sees on TV?" Ladybug suddenly cut in, Cat Noir flinching at how her voice sounded like she wanted to cry. Nino took a step back as she said, "What if me being me isn't enough for him? What if the only thing people ever care about is _THIS!?"_

Nino gaped, his hands curling into fists as he was all at once faced with the face of a friend, overwhelmed by fears she had had for a long time. Doubts that had creeped every day.

Her eyes watered as she stepped towards him, saying, "What if-"

"Stop it!" Nino shouted, surprising even himself as he reached out and grabbed her shoulders, his entire being instantly intense. Because she was wrong.

"Stop," he said again, powering through her gasp of surprise and the way she swallowed her words. "Listen to me okay, because you are being unbelievably stupid right now and I'm not going to deal with it."

"N-Nino," she tried to cut in but he shushed her, still holding her shoulders.

"No, look you've worked yourself into a panic about this so it's making you freaking blind. Everybody's freaking blind but we're not talking about that, we're talking about _you_ being an **idiot**."

Both heroes were open mouthed in shock, looking at Nino as he sighed heavily, freeing one hand to pinch the bridge of his nose just below his glasses.

"What do you know about Adrien?" Nino suddenly asked, not waiting for her to respond as he answered his own question. "Obviously jack considering how you're reacting, because if you knew anything about Adrien you would know how stupid that is."

Nino sighed, fully releasing his hold on her to take a step back and put his hands on his hips.

"Adrien is a complete sucker for love," Nino announced, his face still stern. "He's a romantic, but he's genuine. Adrien is an extremely genuine guy and he cares with everything he's got. He's kind and compassionate and a good person, so don't think the only reason he gives a crap about you is because of your status. That's just not how he is."

Cat Noir shifted in his place, his head reeling with so much confused unfinished information, but something in him burned with pride to have a friend defend him like this…

Nino forged on, leveling Ladybug with a strong gaze as he crossed his arms. "Adrien would want to know that you've got a thing for him, because I guarantee you he wants nothing more than to get to know you better. He wants to know who you are because he wants to know _you_ , not just cause he's curious to see your real identity. If you let him know you B he _will_ love you, but you have got to give him that trust first."

No one spoke, Ladybug disarmed by what he was saying, Cat Noir overcome with emotion and incapable of even making a sound. The words hung in the air, and though no one yet had the complete picture they flowed like a river. One stream ran just beside another, the water warming and affecting its twin but not quite… touching. It wouldn't be hard, they were so close.

But still, neither connected.

"I can't tell him who I really am Nino," Ladybug finally spoke, her voice hoarse. Nino to his credit just shrugged, looking unsurprised.

"Well obviously. But given your track record I'm thinking approaching him without the costume is out of the question."

Cat Noir tensed, barely catching his gasp before it could give him away. Cat looked at his best friend in a different light, realizing something he should have guessed before.

But how would Nino possibly know? How could he have possibly found out who she really was, when even he didn't know?

"Yeah…" Ladybug's quiet humorless chuckle snapped him out of it, the feline desperate not to miss even a word. "I can't even talk to him. Getting to know him… I'm so pathetic Nino."

"Stop it," he said again firmly, shaking his head but trying to be lighthearted. "Love is freaking scary _nobody_ knows how to do that crap without freaking out. Just cause you're Ms. Hero doesn't mean you're exempt from that."

Another dry humorless chuckle as Ladybug rubbed at her arms, and it drew a sigh from Nino as he adjusted his cap.

"Don't get so down and out aren't you always defeating bad guys against insurmountable odds? Asking Adrien out is hardly fighting a-"

"Ah don't just _say_ that!" Lady suddenly squealed, dropping her face into her hands again and making him laugh.

"Oh pull it together I can't even _say_ it? Geeze we've got work to do."

"No we **don't,"** Lady jumped in, glaring at him, "Because nothing is happening!"

"And here we are again at square one," Nino sighed dramatically, stretching out almost sarcastically and settling his arms behind his head. "You're missing the obvious solution dude."

"Oh yeah please enlighten me," she spat, her eyes going wide as Nino responded easily.

"Just get to know him as Ladybug."

She scoffed, throwing her hands up in irritation. "You're missing the whole point Nino! I don't want him to just care about me as a superhero I want him to like me as- as- ugh," she groaned, pacing again.

Nino watched her walk but still spoke easily. "Did you even listen to all the stuff I said? You being a hero isn't going to mean anything if you actually get to know him. Spend time with him, talk to him, hang out buy a pizza or something. If you let Adrien know the real you, not like your freaking name that doesn't even matter at this point, I mean _you_. The stuff you like and don't what jokes make you laugh all that stuff. If he knows all of that and still likes you then it means he loves you as you are, not as who you become in order to save Paris."

Nino let his words sink in as he confidently waited, this whole predicament looking pretty crystal clear to him. Lady seemed to disagree at first, but he could see it getting to her, her steps slowing down until she eventually came to a stop.

"Do you see what I'm saying?" Nino spoke again, tapping his foot impatiently. "It will be more comfortable for you to have the mask in the way. Let Adrien earn the answer, and then if you feel like he deserves it tell him. Getting started will be freaking easy, I send him a text saying Lady Luck wants to chill and I guarantee he would sprint here right now, so just take it slow. Be his _friend_ , then let whatever happens happens."

"I-" she tried to speak, pulling her fingers through her hair, "I wouldn't even be able to talk to him… What would- ugh…"

"You're never gonna know unless you try B," Nino said calmly. "Don't just let this pass cause you're scared. If you really do care about him then you owe it to both of you to try, and I'm telling you Adrien _will_ meet you half way."

Cat waited in anxious silence as he watched Ladybug shift her weight, looking uncertainly up at the boy who spoke so calmly about things she would have assumed he knew nothing about. And that was probably sort of true, if it came to himself personally Nino would be a god damn mess he's a wimp about that stuff but he had pretty much said as much. Everyone got scared, sometimes it took the outside perspective to keep things moving.

"Do you really think I could?" she whispered, her arms close to her chest almost as if to protect her heart from the answer.

"I know you can Spots," Nino said with a caring smile. "I know you both can. You're my friends, please do it for both of you. I can't think of anyone that would make him happier than you."

Ladybug stood in that dark dirty alleyway showing all the uncertainty of a young girl taking a great step forward, not a fearless untouchable hero so many had come to imagine her as. For Cat Noir, it was exactly as Nino meant it. It was her, without the costume. Cat Noir knew in that exact moment that he was seeing the person underneath, as she really was. Another human being, just like him.

"Okay…" she finally said, nodding her head and looking down at the ground. "I'll… I'll try and get to know him l-like, this," she said quietly, gesturing to the spots of her costume with one hand. "Then… I don't know."

"Don't worry about 'then' right now," Nino said comfortingly, grinning in that easy infectious way he had. "Worry about how you're gonna work around his schedule without giving yourself away."

She laughed a little breathlessly, still unable to look up at him. "And worry about Cat Noir… He'd probably catch me running off to meet Adrien and ask questions." Her tone became more somber, regretful. "I don't want to hurt him."

Nino shrugged his shoulders, his face a little more serious but his tone steady. "Hey, if Cat Noir can't respect the fact that you have feelings for another guy," he spoke, suddenly lifting his gaze to the rooftop and freezing the hero he spoke of on the spot, "then he never deserved a shot with you in the first place."

Cat withered under Nino's gaze, having caught him red handed, having probably known he was up there the entire time. He had probably spotted him early on, saying every word he did carefully and deliberately. He had wanted him to hear, letting him know the way things were and that they should be respected.

Fearlessly challenging a superhero in the interest of defending his friend Adrien's chance to be with someone who he cared about.

Defending him. Giving him the chance… to…

Cat choked back his emotion, slinking away from the edge and across the rooftop, slowly distancing himself from the scene.

He felt so many things, all confused and tied together, flipping and turning him until he didn't even know which way was up. He didn't know everything, he wouldn't know everything but… Nino knew Ladybug. Somehow someway… he knew. And he knew that she had feelings for his best friend, _him_ , and had done everything in his power to ensure that he had a fair shot, to encourage Ladybug to step forward. He spoke well of him and praised him, defending his character and insisting that he was a good person, and from his perspective he had deliberately tested someone who could easily launch him across Paris because he wanted to help his friends. He was willing to anger Cat Noir to protect Adrien. Even when he had no cause or reason to… Nino had done so much. More than he could even know.

Ladybug knew him outside the mask, probably even Nino based on their familiarity. They knew each other, she was in his life and he didn't even know it and she _cared about him_.

And now?

He had a chance to be with the love of his life.

"Nino…" he said out loud, crossing Paris on his own with overwhelmed tears in his eyes and a slow smile spreading across his face "Thank you so much. Thank you…"


	8. Chapter 8

Adrien was losing his freaking _mind._

Saying he was sitting was inaccurate, it was probably better to say he was _vibrating_ in his chair as class was called into session.

The teacher took her place at the head of the room, starting to address everyone when Adrien felt a tap on his arm and almost jumped out of his skin.

Nino was looking at him wide eyed, saying quietly "Dude are you okay?" His expression made it clear to Adrien how wacked out he must look but he couldn't help it, the tension had built so much within him he felt like he was going to snap in half.

It had been a _week_.

"I'm cool," Adrien blatantly lied, looking away from Nino and doing his best to sit still, but he couldn't, not really. Even when he managed to stop the tapping of his foot his thoughts still ran wild, like they had every second since his eavesdropping.

Why had nothing happened yet? _Nothing_ had happened, it was driving him insane. There had been no contact, no masked women swinging in to say hello. Adrien had learned an unbelievable amount of information all at once but now _nothing was happening_ and he was a wreck over it. What had changed? Obviously she had seemed hesitant but she wouldn't just **back out** would she? Nino was a stone wall, never letting anything slip or any sentence trail off in a way that Adrien could exploit for answers to questions he shouldn't even have. He wasn't _supposed_ to know, so obviously nobody was considering what was happening to him. Adrien was supposed to be a blissful bystander until his lady came to him, but she hadn't.

Why?

Adrien shifted yet again in his seat, laying his head down in his arms almost to weigh himself down. He could feel Nino watching him any chance he could, but a small unreasonable part of Adrien's mind didn't feel all that bad. After all he was drowning in anxiety right now, Nino could deal with a little worry.

Adrien clamped his teeth together tightly, barely keeping in a groan of frustration.

No, Nino shouldn't have to deal with anything he was- he was _amazing_. Nino was the greatest friend anyone could ever have Adrien should have a fruit basket right now.

He had already spent the past week being as good to Nino as possible, making him laugh every chance he got and inviting him out to go places. As the days ticked by his affection had threatened to become smothering as he became more and more anxious over a rendezvous that hadn't happened yet. Adrien had forced himself to back off then, carefully towing the line between 'oh wow thanks' and 'another video game?' Still though, the more time that passed the harder it became to rationalize.

Had she lost interest? Was she so intimidated that she wouldn't even try? Maybe something else had happened that made her hesitant to pursue? He had been watching her closely during their patrols and she always seemed like she was trying to distract herself. Any 'innocent' comments he made asking whether she had any big plans coming up would just make her chew her lip in worry and quickly say "No."

And okay let's say a miracle happened and she _did_ show up. What did he do? She was worried _she_ wasn't going to be able to speak in front of him, he was going to **die.** Just, seven days. He had had seven days to fantasize and panic, thinking of every good, bad, and awful thing that could happen. What if when she was with him Plagg did something stupid and got spotted? What if she found out he was Cat Noir?

He felt something sharp and uncomfortable dig at his heart, his mood instantly dipping from anxious to wounded.

What would happen?

Would she just… not care anymore? She hadn't cared before… he swallowed a sigh. That wasn't fair to say, it wasn't that she didn't care it was just… she hadn't… it wasn't like how he…

He couldn't completely stop the sigh this time, the defeated noise going unheard by most.

Why not Cat Noir? He had found himself asking himself this a thousand times. Why not Cat Noir? Why did she care about Adrien and not him? He was the same guy but… wasn't he more himself as Cat? When he had that mask on he…

Was that it then? Had she fallen for the boy who always listened to his father, smiled when he was supposed to? Was _that_ what she liked?

So did she really find the loud joker so… unappealing? Did she like the porcelain boy trapped in a big house?

That feeling in his chest grew, warping into something nastier and colder that made it hard to breathe. This feeling had become a semi constant companion for him as the days stretched on, but he told himself what he always did.

' _Nino was right. If we really get to know each other… won't it be the same? If she lost interest when she got to know me more then… that's what happens. But I don't know that yet. I can't lose faith in the chance Nino's giving me here.'_

Well… if that chance ever actually reared its head.

He sighed again. ' _Porcelain boy… please don't tell me it's that way.'_

* * *

Nino watched Adrien carefully for the rest of the school day, silently worrying about his friend.

Adrien had been on edge for a while now, _something_ was up but he couldn't get a word out of him about it. It had only gotten worse as time went on, and he was grateful they had been spending more time together if only to keep an eye on him. The poor dude looked like he was going to explode, which was a feeling he could relate to.

The final school bell rang, announcing their release, and Nino used this chance to look back at Marinette as everyone got ready to leave.

And yes, there she was, pining after Adrien while his back was turned. Again, like every day since that talk in the alleyway.

'God… freaking damnit,' Nino thought to himself irritably, why. Why was this happening this was _ridiculous_. Nino was 100% positive that nothing could make this situation more ridiculous and complicated than it already was, like… ugh.

He gracelessly shoved his notebook and papers into his bag, probably looking a little stressed himself as he stood to leave with Adrien. Even though it was clear the model was still a second away from ripping his hair out for whatever reason he still shot Nino a concerned glance as they headed for the door.

"You okay dude? You kind of look frustrated."

' _That makes two of us then,'_ Nino thought to himself, falling in step with his friend as they walked.

"Got a lot of stuff going on right now," Nino said vaguely, hoping sharing would encourage Adrien to do so himself.

To his surprise Adrien smiled slightly, even laughing under his breath as he said, "I can imagine." There was a small lapse of silence before Adrien asked, "Anything in particular?"

' _Very particular'_ Nino thought again, looking over his shoulder.

Marinette and Alya were walking together a short distance behind them, getting to the top of the stairs about the same time Nino and Adrien arrived at the bottom. He could see Marinette watching them, making doubly sure that they would be far enough ahead so that she didn't have to pass them directly, and this time Nino didn't try and hide his impatience.

"Adrien," he said suddenly, pulling his friend to a stop directly blocking the stairs and effectively trapping Marinette farther up. "I'm gonna need you to roll with me on something real quick."

Adrien's eyes widened slightly at how suddenly determined and even… mischievous Nino looked.

"Uh, okay?" Adrien answered uncertainly, raising an eyebrow at the way Nino suddenly grinned.

"Great, good just keep standing there and answer me honestly."

"Wha-?" Adrien started to say, but then Nino was leaning back against the railing with his arms crossed, speaking in a slightly louder voice.

"What do you think of Ladybug?"

Adrien froze, his heart rate spiking at hearing Nino drop the name he'd been obsessing over for ages. Nino was finally talking about Ladybug, the guy he _knew_ knew her.

 _Something was happening_.

Adrien was instantly self-conscious, swallowing his sudden nerves as he stuttered out, "S-she's amazing."

Nino nodded, having expected as much. He kept talking in a slightly raised voice, obviously letting others hear what they were talking about, deliberately encouraging passing eavesdroppers.

"And what else?" Nino pushed, "Tell me what you really think of her."

Adrien felt like electricity crawled down his back as his breath pulled up short, suddenly faced with the confirmation of something he had long suspected.

Ladybug went to their school, and she was nearby.

He fought to keep his reaction of his face but his heart was all at once pounding in his chest, his hands clammy as he glanced at all the students nearby, passing them in a flood as school ended. She could be anywhere, but she was listening she had to be. Why else would Nino make such a show?

Nino was trying to move things along.

"She's perfect," Adrien spoke, incredibly nervous but keeping his volume no matter how much he wanted to fall quiet. "She's beautiful."

Nino's grin widened, obviously pleased with his answer and chuckling to himself. "You really think so highly of her?"

"Of course I do," Adrien said instantly, feeling hot at how quickly he said it. He didn't want to come off weird but… "She's… fantastic."

Nino's smile became self-satisfied, but Adrien couldn't tell if he was glancing in any particular direction, giving any indication of who she might be.

"Okay so, hypothetically," Nino finally said, raising his hands to make quotation marks in the air, "If like, let's say, Ladybug totally showed up at your door one day and was like, 'Hey wassup wanna chill?' you'd totally say yes right? Like no doubt at all right away down to clown?"

"Absolutely," Adrien said right away, holding his school bag close to him in a nervous gesture, but the excited smile on his face wasn't dampened. Something was happening. "The chance to spend some time with her would be… unbelievable. Like a dream come true."

Nino's face lit up with absolute jubilation at Adrien's final comment, the DJ lurching forward to clap Adrien on the back as he laughed aloud.

"I am _so glad_ to hear you say that," Nino announced, relieving his friend of stair blocking duty and ushering him towards the exit. "You see I was pretty sure you were going to say that but hearing you say it just then really made my day. You know just like, clearing any kind of lame doubts that it wasn't the case. But it would be a 'dream come true'! Can't think of anything more concrete then that!"

Adrien let himself get pushed along, unable to keep himself from looking back into the crowd in some last ditch effort to see her, but there were easily fifty students in his line of sight alone. Nino seemed pretty wrapped up in his little victory, and Adrien realized maybe a little late that he should probably be a little more confused by Nino's actions.

"And all that was for?" Adrien asked for show, being walked straight up to his waiting car by his friend.

"Don't worry about it Romeo," Nino laughed again, going for a jovial fist bump before starting his walk home, saying something like, "I am _so_ good at this," to himself before he exited Adrien's hearing range.

Adrien got in his car in a slight daze, his heart still pounding because she had been _close_. She had heard and he had just said… she was perfect and beautiful. He had…

Adrien's face was burning as he buried it in his bag, only looking up to scowl at Plagg when he appeared to laugh at him.

"Man!" Plagg laughed, recklessly in the open space of the car, "If this whole game gets any more twisted it's gonna be a pretzel!"

* * *

"Mari," Nino said into the receiver of his phone as he entered his apartment building, but his attempt to break through her tirade was wasted. "Mari," he said again, trying to talk over her babbling, "you got to chill man, it's all good."

" _It's all good?! What do you mean it's all good I- I told you not to do anything!"_

"I didn't! I posed a hypothetical question that Adrien answered, that's hardly meddling."

" _That is_ _ **exactly**_ _what meddling is Nino!"_

"And now because of that you're gonna go talk to him right?"

" _I- no! I can't!"_

Nino groaned, using his time waiting for the elevator to thump his head against the control panel. "Marineeeette," he whined but she was in hysterics again.

" _It's not that easy Nino, I can't just-"_

"You're right! It's not easy! Making this happen is like pulling teeth!" Nino exclaimed, stepping into the elevator and slumping against the wall after slamming the button to his floor.

" _I-_ "

"Or you know what, more like pulling out railroad ties with a pair of tweezers."

" _Nino!"_ her voice whined through the phone, and he could hear her head hitting her desk. " _uuuaagh."_

Nino sighed for the billionth time, pinching the bridge of his nose as he said, "Ms. Tikki are you there?"

" _Yes!"_ Tikki's sweet voice suddenly chimed in, getting louder as she got closer to the receiver. _"If you're hoping for backup I've tried everything_."

Nino gave an exasperated chuckle at that, grinning at Tikki's pouty huff.

The elevator doors slid open and he headed towards his door down the hallway, saying once again what he had said every time they had this conversation, except this time with a little more ammo.

"He _wants_ to see you, he _wants_ to spend time with you, he thinks you're great! Prove him right! Go see him, it would be a 'dream come true' Mari. You're going to regret it if you just sit and do nothing!"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before he heard another drawn out groan, but to his delight she said, " _I'm busy tonight but…_ "

"Tomorrow?" Nino said hopefully, quickly bringing up a calendar in his head. That would be a Saturday.

" _I…_ " she trailed off, sighing deeply. There was another brief silence before **finally** , " _Okay. I'm going to do it."_

Nino cheered in the hallway, punching the air with his free hand and laughing excitedly. _Finally_ they had made progress.

"God I am SO good at this!" Nino announced again, grinning like a fool as he fumbled for his house keys. He was the best wingman ever.

Nino rode the high of his victory for the rest of that day, forgoing any outings to just play video games and generally just feel awesome.

He had finally gotten the ball rolling, something was going to happen and he was satisfied knowing that he had set this opportunity in motion. What happened now was up to Adrien but at least he had made it possible, he was happy with that.

Nino had ended up staying up pretty late, the clock saying it was something close to 2:00 AM when his phone suddenly went off.

Nino paused his game, looking over at the phone lying beside him on his bed in confusion. Normally he'd ignore text messages for a little while when he was doing something but… he looked at the clock, raising an eyebrow. Maybe Alya was still awake working on her blog and wanted to bounce her crazy theories off of someone.

He had to admit, now being in on the secret? Listening to Alya's suspicions of who Ladybug might be just got funnier by the day.

Nino discarded his controller, reaching over to collect his phone and only getting more confused when he saw it was a number he didn't recognize.

However when he read it his blood ran cold.

'Can you meet me outside? Rooftop of your building- CN'

Nino stared at the message, easily three minutes passing where he didn't move a muscle, sweat beading on his forehead.

He knew this day would come.

Nino was suddenly on his feet, pacing back in forth as he held his head in a vice like grip. This was it, this was the moment. He had actually thought he had gotten away clean since so much time had passed but he should have guessed Cat Noir was only biding his time. He really was furious, he probably _hated_ Nino. The random hat guy who got between him and 'his lady'. Pretty much singlehandedly Nino had thrown a wrench in any romantic plans Cat Noir might have had, and now the superhero with the power of complete and utter destruction expected to have a chat on the rooftop.

Oh bed, you've been good. So loyal. He knew he'd miss that old thing the most.

Okay stop, this is insane. He was overreacting. Nino forced himself to grind to a halt, taking a deep breath.

Cat Noir was a superhero. He was a _good guy_ , he wasn't going to Cataclysm a random DJ into dust because he was feeling salty. You didn't just get superpowers if you were irrational like that right? Like Cat Noir inherently had to have some kind of... core goodness to get his ring right? Like, Marinette was practically sunshine incarnate she wouldn't like, yo-yo Chloe off a cliff or anything.

…

…Bad example maybe.

But, Nino shouldn't head out expecting some kind of fight. He probably just wanted to talk, and even if it was to shout at him he had to go out there.

Standing there in his room Nino felt that same unshakeable determination settle over him, the one he had felt when going after Adrien during the akuma rampage at school. The same sort of determination he had always associated with heroes…

Because he wasn't going to let anything Cat Noir might say ruin this. Adrien deserved more than that, and he deserved a friend who would do everything in their power to maintain the opportunity they had made. Marinette too, both of them. They were his friends… they had a chance to be together.

It was his responsibility to stand between them and Cat Noir, no matter how terrifying that prospect might be…

Nino swallowed, holding onto his resolution like a life line as he picked his phone up again, silently opening his bedroom door and heading off to whatever might happen next.

'Do it for them man…'


	9. Chapter 9

Nino could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he made his way to the rooftop, slowly taking the stairs upwards. He wondered idly if this is what gladiators felt like just before the gate rose, showing them all at once the blood drenched battlefield sunken into a pit for a mob's entertainment.

Alright probably not, but he was sort of on edge so forgive his embellishments.

Nino stood before the door that lead to the open air and waited for a moment, looking at the faded paint job on an insignificant door, before he took a deep breath and opened it.

It was deep into the night as Nino stepped out into the open, walking steadily and with discipline out towards the center of the flat area. He could feel his palms sweating in his balled up fists but he kept walking, well aware of the black clad figure slowly turning to regard him.

Cat Noir turned, and to Nino's surprise there was a smile on his face, that is until he saw Nino in full. The DJ could almost feel Cat taking in his stance, looking at his tense posture and set jaw. The smile fell, and it was replaced by something almost like guilt.

"Are you afraid of me?" Cat Noir said suddenly, the first to speak. He said the words without thinking, the sentiment slipping out as Nino's unease really settled in for him, and then Nino was suddenly feeling guilty as well. He hadn't meant to make him feel like a villain.

"No," Nino attempted to amend, forgoing a greeting since Cat Noir had done the same. "But I'd be lying if I said you suddenly showing up here didn't make me a little nervous."

The hero's hands rose in a placating gesture, the claws on the ends of his gloves making him look oddly inhuman in the dim lighting, though Nino supposed that was the point of them.

"I'm not here to fight or nothing! Honest I didn't mean to freak you out, I just want to talk."

Nino watched him with a steady gaze for a second, and could see his perception of the hero change slightly. Where he had seen an inhuman, possibly dangerous figure before he now saw a young kid about his age, trying to smile and put him at ease.

Nino's stance relaxed a little, fists unrolling but back still straight. Cat didn't seem to be looking for a shouting match either, but that made him wonder why he was really there.

"So," Nino finally said again, shifting his weight a little and watching curiously as the normally composed hero rubbed at the back of his neck. "What did you want to talk about?"

Cat wasn't looking at him, staring off the side of the building and off into the city. The silence stretched so long that Nino started to wonder if he was expected to say something else, before Cat said, "I shouldn't have been listening, in the alleyway. I wasn't supposed to be there and I had been spying. I wanted to apologize."

Nino's expression didn't change, unmoved by the apology. "It's not me you should be apologizing to," Nino responded, crossing his arms but not angry. "Though I guess it's something you needed to hear."

Cat Noir nodded to himself, still looking away and unbearable silence dominated again. They could hear the murmur of a city that was barely awake all around them, a light breeze blowing between them. The shift in power was so… weird. Nino had entered this space as the uncertain one, but now it was Cat Noir who couldn't maintain eye contact.

Nino waited, but the hero didn't seem to have the words to convey what he was there for, and Nino couldn't help the small sigh that slipped out, his eyes sliding closed.

"Listen man," Nino spoke again, and he could feel Cat's eyes on him. "I know you don't know me, and you actually have a lot of reason not to like me. I get that, I do, and I know you don't owe me crap but I'm asking you anyways." Nino opened his eyes, catching Cat Noir's too bright gaze as he asked, "Please leave this alone."

The two boy's locked eyes, neither looking away as the murmur of the city took over again. Nino honestly had no idea what his face looked like just then, he was only watching Cat as a dozen emotions flashed across his masked face. It was amazing how the mask didn't hide everything, he could still read so much in this guy he didn't know. He was shocked, saddened, conflicted… and happy. It was weird, and it seemed like he knew that. To Nino it looked like Cat Noir had no idea how to feel.

"What makes you think Adrien deserves her?" Cat suddenly said, the words tense and rushed but not angry, not spat. He was genuinely asking, stepping closer as he said, "What makes Adrien better than me?"

Nino's eyes widened, his heart racing again at being caught in the middle of all this… but he had to say something.

"I don't know you," Nino said calmly, holding his ground as Cat Noir walked closer, "but even if I did I'd tell you nobody 'deserves' her more than anybody else she's her own person. The only thing I know Adrien deserves in life is to be happy, but when it came to choosing Ladybug chose him and I think you should respect that."

The change in atmosphere was instant, and Nino took a step back as he looked at Cat Noir's face. Because the emotion he saw there didn't make any sense. He had just told a guy with the power of destruction to back off from a girl and he looked… blown away. Touched even and it was totally out of place.

Cat Noir blinked, taking a step back himself and freezing Nino to the spot with an intensely powerful look in his eyes, like he was demanding to know the answer to his next question in a quiet but undeniable way.

"You really think so highly of your friend?" he asked gently, the words barely making it out as he watched Nino's confused expression. Through all that confusion and unease though, Nino nodded, unshakeable certainty in his eyes as he confirmed it. And Cat Noir had no idea how to react.

Nino waited, watching as Cat Noir turned away for a moment, raising a hand to his face and pacing absentmindedly in front of him. The hero was distant, his eyes glazed as a million different thoughts ran through his head, and Nino could almost swear… that he was crying.

Nino felt breath catch in his throat, guilt overwhelming him as he really thought about the situation. There was no reason for him to assume that Cat Noir's feelings weren't genuine, that he didn't actually love Ladybug. If he had thought about it before he couldn't say that his actions would be any different but… maybe he wouldn't have acted without considering him. He still thought Adrien deserved the shot, he still thought Ladybug's desires should be respected but…

He saw Cat Noir's shoulders bow slightly, and Nino felt something tighten in his chest. It must hurt… a lot. Maybe Cat Noir had come to that rooftop hoping for Nino to disown Adrien in some way, to give him some kind of justification to get in the way and found none. Nino knew now, Cat Noir had no intentions of getting involved. He wanted LB to be happy, but… To have her not choose you must… suck.

Nino's heart went out to him, watching the hero fight off confused overwhelming emotions in front of a total stranger. And all at once… Nino didn't want to be a total stranger.

"Hey…" Nino said quietly, bringing the hero to a stop with one word. Nino swallowed, looking into Cat Noir's watery eyes and trying to read them before saying, "I know I said I didn't know you…" he extended a hand, watching as shock settled again into Cat's expression. "But I'd like to, if you'll let me."

Cat Noir was frozen, looking first at Nino and then down at the outstretched hand, that same overwhelmed emotion racking through him and confusing Nino slightly. It didn't really make sense… unless he was just grateful for the olive branch but…

Cat Noir's hand settled into his, a strong grip shaking his hand and a disbelieving chuckle slipping from the hero's lips. Nino could feel the claws lightly scraping his skin as Cat Noir finally spoke, his voice husky.

"You know…" he said slowly, drawing out the handshake slightly and staring down at the contact. "This reminds me so much of the first time I met you."

Nino raised an eyebrow, looking at the hero's smile as their hands pulled away from each other. That didn't make any sense.

"Back then," he explained, the smile spreading a little as gratefulness and joy shined in his eyes, "you didn't trust me at first either. You were closed off and convinced I was only going to cause trouble. But you saw I was lonely then too, once I told you Chloe was my only friend. You decided I was worth the time, and you gave me a second chance then too…"

Nino took a step away, absolute confusion on his face as he looked up at Cat Noir, the green of his eyes and the color of his hair starting to dawn on him for the first time. The way he stood, the way he laughed… the way he grinned.

"You said the only thing you knew I deserved in life was to be happy," Cat said with finality, watching as the pieces clicked into place for his best friend. But he spoke from the heart, tears finally flowing over as he laughed out, "But I know that never once… have I ever deserved a friend like you."

Adrien had to admit, watching as everything fell into place in Nino's expression was pretty hilarious, the DJ staring wide eyed and taking a step back as his mouth dropped open. Cause he had basically just admitted it, said the thing he had come there to say. Finally told Nino the thing he deserved to know.

"No… freaking…way," Nino choked out, but he knew better. He looked at how emotional and happy and slightly _smug_ that stupid cat look as he smiled at him, and he _knew_.

He just couldn't **believe**.

But oh he could, of course he could how much sense did it make? Every attack that had ever happened, but aside from that just how Cat _was_ how he behaved and laughed and messed around. Of course it was Adrien, he just hadn't seen because it's everything Adrien wanted to be but couldn't. It was a mask with Adrien behind it, how had he not _seen._

Cat Noir's, or rather Adrien's chuckle cut through his panicking, the hero regaining a bit of his humor as he asked, "You okay buddy? You gonna pass out?"

"I-" Nino stuttered, gaping like a fish the entire time as a million and one obvious clues crashed down on him, the insanity of the situation he had just landed himself in starting to settle in. "I can't- No freaking _way_."

"Are you mad?" Cat Noir asked, watching Nino carefully but still smiling.

"No. Way," Nino said yet again, staring at the leather clad superhero and just- just no _way_. "You-" Nino's gaze became fixed and far away as his mind started to process something. Cat Noir tilted his head slightly in concern, jumping almost a foot in the air as Nino suddenly screamed "WHY IS EVERYONE I KNOW A FREAKING SUPERHERO."

Nino started to devolve into panicked shouting, a regular occurrence for this sort of mental breakdown but Cat Noir didn't know that, pouncing on top of his friend and pinning him to the ground with his mouth clamped shut. Another regular occurrence.

His shouting was muffled as Cat Noir bit back laughter, trying to silence Nino even though they were alone on the rooftop.

"Nino SH, Do you want all of Paris to hear-"

Nino ripped Cat Noir's hand away from his face, glaring up at him as he shouted, "You don't get to SH me, you don't get to drop that and just-" Nino reached up, grabbing at his hat and clamping down on his head. "CAT WOMAN DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A BUTLER."

Cat Noir was still laughing, staring at confusion in his friend pinned beneath him. "Nino what the hell are you talking about!?"

"I can't do my homework this many times," Nino was still talking, speaking mostly to himself as he started to fully freak out. "I can't cover for this many classes I'm already doing it for B I can't do it for you too I'm going to fail _everything_."

"Nino what the-" Cat Noir started to say, freezing in place for a second before shouting himself and saying, "Wait is she _in our_ _ **class!?**_ "

"No!" Nino shouted back, suddenly angry, "Don't you try and figure this out don't you make another problem for me!"

"Wait is she!?" Cat was still trying to figure out as Nino suddenly threw him off, the DJ rushing to stand and pacing rapidly on the rooftop.

"I can't believe this!" Nino shouted, hands flying around him in wild gestures, "I can't _believe this_ , you're my **best friend.** You're my **BEST FRIEND**. Cat Noir is my- I can't BEILEVE YOU _!"_

Cat Noir was still sitting on the ground, staring sheepishly up at his friend once Nino turned to glare at him. "I wanted to tell you, but obviously that's sort of hard to do."

"I can't-" Nino was still saying, bringing his hat down to cover his face as he sank to the floor again, lying on his back on his own accord and making strangled confused noises into the fabric of his cap. Cat Noir couldn't help but laugh again, staring at his friend's breakdown and shaking his head.

For Nino all he heard next was a weird… swooshing sound and a bright flash of green light hitting his closed eyes from beneath the cap. When he looked up though he wished he hadn't, his breakdown just settling in more when he saw Adrien suddenly sat there, waving with a smile on his face.

"Oh my GOD," Nino shouted again, covering his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at his totally normal best friend sitting where Cat Noir had just been sitting.

Adrien laughed again, and Nino heard a second higher pitched cackle join in.

"Well he sure took that well," the second smaller voice remarked, snickering to itself.

"Is that another tiny magical thing," Nino asked almost in defeat, still not looking yet. "A kwami?"

"Yup!" Adrien and the smaller voice called in unison, and Nino groaned into his hat again.

"Would you like to meet him?" Adrien asked, and Nino waited for another few seconds before sighing deeply and sitting up.

"Yes," Nino finally said, lowering his hat into his lap and looking in front of him where something small, black and undeniably cat like was already hovering.

"Hey!" it said simply, grinning at him almost wickedly. "This is obviously a secret kid, just so you know."

"I know how to secret keep Selina Kyle," Nino shot back easily, making Adrien laugh at the reference but the small cat creature just raised an… eyebrow? And shrugged.

"This is Plagg," Adrien introduced without moving from his seat since his kwami had made no attempt to. "He's my kwami. I'm guessing you already know what they are from Ladybug."

"Mhm," Nino said back simply, staring down the tiny creature and saying, "Hello Plagg."

"Hey Cap Kid," Plagg said back, grinning again before zipping off to sit by Adrien.

"Oh my gooood," Nino moaned, dropping his face back into his hat and making Adrien laugh yet again.

"Oh come on Nino this isn't a bad thing," Adrien defended himself, slightly worried that Nino was genuinely upset.

"No," Nino agreed, looking up at the smiling blond model, "It's not a bad thing. It's a _complicated_ thing, because I've just spent forever trying to get between you and **you** , for the same freaking girl."

Adrien chuckled uneasily, running a hand through his hair sheepishly. "Haha yeah… I figured that maybe telling you would make it a little easier for you, since you know I'm not gonna Cataclysm you into dust or something."

"This is freaking insane," Nino said again, his head still reeling to the point where it was just easier not to look at his friend as he dealt with it all. "What are the freaking chances… How the hell did I land in the middle of this? This is crazy, Alfred deserves a raise."

"Again with the Batman reference?" Adrien asked between chuckles, relaxing a little since Nino was mostly just flustered.

"It's how I cope with things don't judge me," Nino muttered, the sound muffled in his hands.

"Hey you're doing pretty well," Adrien complimented, smiling in a supportive sort of way when Nino looked up at him again. "I figured you were going to faint."

"I almost did," Nino admitted, "I might still. Be on the lookout."

The two friends shared an awkward laugh, Nino shaking his head and looking out across the flat rooftop.

"This is… ridiculous. I can't believe this. Ladybug and Cat Noir… holy **crap**."

"Yeah haha," Adrien laughed, not terribly smooth as he fished for information. "Sorta crazy that we're in the same class right?"

Nino looked up, glaring at him. "Don't."

Adrien huffed, rolling his eyes and falling flat on his back, exclaiming to the sky, "Is it really so bad at this point if I just knew?"

"Yes," Nino responded immediately, "Considering you've already done your share of spying."

Adrien lifted his head slightly to shoot a glare of his own back at Nino. "I apologized!"

"Doesn't mean you didn't spy, and you didn't apologize to _her_."

"I would if you-"

"No, I'm not telling you who she is don't even ask, just like how I won't tell _her_ or anyone else who you are. Because I'm a good friend."

There was a short lapse of silence at that, and from his place on his back Adrien said, "You are a good friend… That's the main reason I wanted to tell you. I wanted to thank you."

Nino looked over at his friend, Plagg floating a little bored nearby. Adrien sat up, leveling Nino with a completely genuine gaze. "I… there aren't words man. For everything you've done and even if stuff _doesn't_ work out between Ladybug and I you defended me and stood up for me and _believed_ in me and just… thank you so much."

Nino stared back, blinking in confusion before saying very simply, "It's no big deal man. Just being a bro."

Adrien's hands shot up in the air in exasperation, his voice almost breathless as he exclaimed, "Of course you would say that! It doesn't seem like a big deal to you! You didn't even think twice! You just _did_ it cause you want me to be **happy** and I-" his voice caught, breaking in an onslaught of emotion and Nino stared in wide eye surprised as he realized that the reason Cat Noir had been so emotional was because of _him_. He had been reacting to Nino saying that he deserved to be happy in life… and even though Nino would never tell him this… his heart broke. Because someone believing in you should never be that overwhelming, someone telling you you deserve to be happy in life shouldn't be… life changing. But for Adrien it was.

Because no one had never told him that before.

There had been a span of silence as Adrien fought to regain his calm, but when the model finally looked up Nino was smiling gently, scooting over slightly and extending his hand in a fist bump.

"We're bros dude," he said equally as plainly, as it was just a statement of fact. "I'd do it again in a second. You'd do it for me."

Adrien stared, laughing through tears that had started to silently flow again as he reached out as well, their fists connecting and separating again as they smiled at each other.

In the next space of silence Plagg decided to engage, flying over to Nino and chatting to him simply, probably teasing him about something. Their conversation allowed Adrien a moment to collect himself, wiping at his eyes and watching the surreal scene of seeing Nino interact with Plagg.

He had imagined it a fair few times, much more frequently since he had last seen Nino with Ladybug, but still… it looked just as natural as he had pictured it. Nino laughed and smiled, nodding his head and making a joke Plagg actually found funny. Plagg hovered in the air, turning to float on his back and staring at Nino upside down. It was easy and playful, Nino obviously still rattled but doing his best to adjust to this new world yet again.

Part of Adrien knew he had put even more on Nino's shoulders and that wasn't what he wanted but… he deserved to know. He had done more than earned it, hell he had earned it a long time ago but this? Nino deserved the world for this.

Even if things didn't work with Ladybug… a thought that terrified him, he had Nino to back him up. Nino was his best friend, and he was going to be there no matter what.

Hell… he had been there when he hadn't even known it was him.


	10. Chapter 10

If secrets were weights Nino weighed a million pounds, he felt like even moving his head was a struggle. Or maybe that was just how exhausted he was… damn he was tired. He and Adrien had been up incredibly late, trying to get adjusted and sneaking into Nino's apartment to get his weird floating god cat some cheese. Overall it had been incredibly weird and he still couldn't quite cope.

Nino slowly looked over, glancing at his best friend working quietly beside him. Adrien was taking notes, working diligently like he totally wasn't a superhero, like he absolutely didn't run around in a leather suit.

But Nino knew. He knew his friends surprisingly cat-themed secret.

Thinking about it out of context like that had quickly become one of Nino's greatest joys. Imagining Marinette as Ladybug had become inevitable but just thinking about posh, practiced Adrien Agreste in a full leather body suit and cat ears was just too much sometimes. I mean sure when he was suited up he was actually pretty cool and could destroy pretty much everything, actually no literally everything. You can't touch that, it's always going to be pretty cool, but the cat ears thing was just really really funny if you thought about it on its own. And the tail. Adrien running around with like, a tail-

"NINO!" a sharp voice suddenly shouted, making most students in the class jump but especially the poor boy the anger was focused on. For a second Nino was almost positive he had spaced out for half the day because only Ms. Mendeleiev was ever so harsh with students, but no it was typically calm sweet Ms. Bustier that got in his face then.

Nino gulped in fear, leaning back in his seat as the teacher planted her delicate hands forcefully down on his notebook, leaning forward and forcing him to retreat into himself slightly almost like a turtle.

Her red bun was a little messy, her entire posture tense as she attempted to reign in her almost entirely unreasonable irritation.

"Nino," she said again, a little more rationally this time, standing up straight again and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Please. Please focus, I am tired of watching you space out, ALL of this is going to be on the test."

Nino was staring at her frightfully, nodding quickly and grabbing his notebook to emphasize his intention to change his ways. Ms. Bustier huffed once before spinning on her heel, stalking stiffly back to the board and continuing to almost shout facts and information through her lecture.

Nino was staring obediently forward, waiting until she was well and distracted herself before turning to Adrien, hiding his mouth with his notebook as he mouthed, 'Dude whats up _her_ butt?'

Adrien glanced to the side to catch the movement but just shrugged, not wanting to risk catching their teacher's uncharacteristic wrath as well.

Nino would have looked backwards to silently complain to his friends behind him too but there was no way he was going to get shouted at again like that, seeing something so harsh come from someone who was usually so collected was frightening.

Nino jumped again when suddenly Ms. Bustier was by her desk, slamming the wooden pointed she had started using against the flat surface and announcing in a tired voice, "Enough of this. We're doing a group project. Each of you separate into groups of four it doesn't matter who just please work _quietly_ so I can get some things done."

Everyone shot sidelong glances at each other before separating into immediate predetermined groups. Each student had the people they typically picked, and Adrien and Nino were sitting close enough to the girls that they could immediately turn around and avoid Chloe altogether, who went to go mooch off of Kim and Max.

The boy picked up chairs to sit on either side of the girls, forced to scoot in sort of close. Adrien sat next to Marinette because she was the closest and the poor girl almost died, but Alya distracted everyone as she leaned forward to say, "Dude what is _up_ with her today? She looks like she's going to eat somebody!"

Marinette nodded, agreeing without saying anything because she was mostly focusing on maintaining even breathing patterns as Adrien got even closer, leaning over her slightly to talk in the common space of the group.

"Yeah you didn't deserve that man, and I saw her shouting at Ivan in the hall earlier it's like she's a totally different person."

"Must be something going on," Alya speculated, and everyone turned to look at Marinette as she managed a small strangled noise.

The designer quickly cleared her throat, doing her best to speak as she reported, "U-uh I saw someone shouting a-at her earlier too. Mr. Damocles, he looked really mad about something. I don't know what though."

Alya gasped, stage whispering dramatically, "Do you think some serious drama is up with the faculty? Maybe there was a huge scandal or something!"

Adrien leaned back, carefully checking where Ms. Bustier was before saying, "That doesn't sound right, what would Ms. B have done? She's so nice!"

"Not right now apparently," Nino said sullenly, falling quiet as their teacher walked past them, roughly tossing down four worksheets. Well as roughly as paper could be tossed.

The group waited, carefully watching the obviously on edge red head retreat back to her desk before starting to work, the whole class quietly chatting.

"We've already done these worksheets," Adrien pointed out, the familiar questions apparent almost immediately.

"She's probably so frazzled she didn't even look, I mean look at her! Something is definitely going on," Alya whispered excitedly, carefully watching their teacher for any kind of clues.

"Don't snoop Alya," Nino said almost out of reflex, knowing the sentiment would be lost as he pushed his worksheet away. No point in pretending to do it if it wouldn't even be graded.

"I'm a reporter, snooping is in the job description!" she shot back instantly, and he rolled his eyes. Never gained any ground with that one. He had to admit he was curious too but ever since he had become the guardian of a fair few secrets himself he appreciated Alya's nosey tactics less by the day.

"Marinette do you remember this one?" Nino heard Adrien ask quietly, looking over in time to see Marinette sputter in surprise. Adrien was still filling out the sheet, going through with the charade for lack of anything better to do and Nino watched with a small smile as she tried to coherently give him the right answer.

Everyone was so god damn blind.

Part of Nino's exhaustion was thanks to his sleepless night, and almost all of his sleepless night was thanks to the existence of the most infuriating thing he could possibly imagine.

The love square.

Oh you've heard of love and you've heard of squares but _nothing_ was as stupid or as complicated as this.

Marinette loved Adrien, he could see it in every bashful look and hear it in every stuttered word. And Adrien was _blind_ to it, and he saw that in every friendly smile and confused expression whenever she would flub a word. Marinette was Ladybug, he knew that pretty damn well, it had been a major fact in his life for a while now. She was Spots, the great and powerful. _Adrien_ was Cat Noir, a relatively new fact that just made everything way more ridiculous, and everyone in Paris knew Cat Noir loved Ladybug. Ladybug wouldn't look twice at Cat Noir because she was really Marinette who loved Adrien. And Adrien, apart from being freaking stupid would never give Marinette the chance because he was really Cat Noir who was in love with Ladybug.

See that? See how freaking ridiculous that was?

Watching those two absolutely ridiculous idiots _stare_ at each other and not even- it was the most frustrating thing in the world, it was beyond frustrating it was driving him _crazy_.

How in the hell was he supposed to be Alfred when he wanted to bash his own brains out on the desk. _Look at them._ _ **Look at how close they are to each other**_ just kiss, just- just do it just go for it just kiss. Right now, in class, screw everything. Why was this even a thing, was this a test? Was this a test of patience? Was he passing?

Nino was busy glaring at his stupid friends while Alya spied, so he didn't even notice that the door had opened until Alya nudged him, gesturing to their more typically grumpy science teacher as she entered the room with a smug grin.

Ms. Bustier looked up, instantly grimacing as Ms. Mendeleiev waltzed over towards the teacher's desk, grinning all the way.

"Caline," Ms. Mendeleiev greeted unprofessionally, gesturing towards the door. "Mr. Damocles wants to see you in his office, but I'm sure you're not surprised. I'm here to babysit."

All the students watched, immediately uncomfortable with seeing the teacher they generally liked being talked down to by a colleague of hers. Did teachers seriously act like this in front of students? This was just petty.

Ms. Bustier stood up from her desk with a folder in her hands, ignoring her co-worker entirely and stalking out of the room without a word. Ms. Mendeleiev was even snide enough to make a comment about Ms. Bustier taking her keys since it was unlikely she was returning.

Their science teacher took over, watching over the kids as they continued to pretend to work. Everyone was whispering about the weirdly tense scene they had just witnessed.

"That's just lame," Marinette was commenting, looking at the classroom door with an upset look. "I don't know what she's in trouble for but teachers shouldn't act like that."

"It's unprofessional if nothing else," Adrien agreed, also looking concerned. "I hope she's not in way too much trouble. I can't imagine her doing anything wrong."

Alya's eyes were clouded with thought, her hand on her chin as she speculated. "Maybe she's taking the fall for something? Probably something Ms. Purple Spikes did and is getting away with."

The others nodded, agreeing in one way or another and falling into silence, everyone sneaking out their phones or something similar to pass the time. Nino just went back to silently stewing, glaring at his stupid idiot friends and their stupid idiot love complications.

'You love each other,' he thought to himself, his gaze switching between Adrien and Marinette. 'You're both totally in love. Please just be together already.'

Nino's eyes widened slightly, a light bulb flickering on in his mind and a grin slowly spreading across his face.

"Hey Adrien," he suddenly said, gaining their small group's attention since he was the only one talking. "You busy tonight?"

Adrien looked at Nino innocently, not really detecting anything was up but Marinette absolutely did, turning redder by the second.

"Uh no I don't think so, I was just going to be in tonight after the photoshoot."

"When is that over?" Nino probed, strategically not meeting Marinette's burning gaze and focusing on Adrien. "Do you think you'd be free by 8:00? Maybe 8:30?"

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "Yeah it would be over by then but I don't know if I can leave the house. My dad is out of town so he doesn't really like me going out when he's not in the city."

Nino's eyes lit up, and his grin became more self-satisfied. "Oh cool, so you'll be in and like, in your room. And just like, you know just saying, no one really checks on you after saaay 8:30?"

Both Alya and Adrien were looking at him in confusion, but Marinette was now staring directly down at her lap, typing furiously. Nino ignored the vibrations in his pocket.

"Yes? But I can't leave," Adrien reminded him, and Nino just nodded.

"Yeah I know, I was just making sure that you were available and unattended at around 8:30, just so that was out in the air. No big deal."

Adrien just stared at him, totally lost as Nino leaned back in his chair and pulled out his phone. He didn't even read Marinette's all capital messages, just going to Adrien's name and typing out simply, 'I was letting B know when to go pick you up. Your little date is gonna be tonight.'

There was a slight delay as the message made its way over, but when it got there Adrien actually jumped in his seat, instantly flushed and looking all around him. Just like his typically blind self though his eyes totally missed Marinette.

Nino glanced down at Adrien's reply, feeling his eyes on him the whole time.

'A- So she IS in our class!'

'N- Stop it. She'll be there at 8:30, even if I need to drag her by her own yo-yo.'

'A- YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT AND EXPECT ME TO ACT CASUAL'

Nino snickered to himself, putting his phone away and considering actually doing his own worksheet when very very faintly, he heard a scream.

Everyone looked over at the door, instantly tense. They could have misheard but… well when you live in a city like theirs you listened for that sort of thing.

"Hear that?" Adrien said, forgetting his own dilemma for a second and focusing eagle eyed on the door.

"Was that a man?" Alya asked, already prepping her phone. "Was it one of the teachers?"

All the students were antsy, looking around and ready to run as soon as something weird happened again, but they didn't really get the chance.

Nino screamed in fright as his backpack started to move, the coarse fabric of his messenger bag rubbing against his exposed arms as it snaked up to his torso, the strap elongating and binding him to his chair painfully. It was so tight he could barely move, his head whipping around to see that similar things were happening to every other student. It happened so fast that every student was caught in their chairs, their backpacks or purses wrapping around their legs and chests until no one could stand.

Everyone was screaming now as the door opened, and Nino felt a chill go up his spine as he heard a familiar voice call, "Class! Class! Settle down! Everyone take you seats, oh!" A gentle laugh, "You already have. So well behaved, thank you for sitting. The lesson will start shortly."

Nino was struggling to breath, but he looked over and saw a tall slender woman stride into the room. Her hair was dark red, unfurled and falling down to the back of her knees. There were braids spaced evenly throughout it, three or four marking columns down the back, notches of the braids marked with pens or pencils. She was clad in a completely blue skintight body suit apart from a flare of gentle dark blue lace that trailed over her shoulders and down her arms like a shawl. She actually looked… elegant, the blue of the body suit marked with letters and numbers, notations and printed text decorating her calves and spilling onto her white boots. Her face was adorned with beige reading glasses, the chain hanging from them swinging as she walked. It was her, undoubtedly. Ms. Bustier.

'Oh no…' Nino thought through his fear. It never felt good, seeing a villain. It might be terrifying but still, there was a person in there. A poor frazzled teacher, on edge and losing her patience.

"Okay class," she spoke calmly, opening a large black folder in her hands and adjusting her reading glasses as if to closer inspect its contents. "We have an important lesson. One about respect and hard work, and I will not tolerate disruptions. It's very important for everyone to learn, and it's best to learn from our mistakes." The thus far nameless woman smiled, looking to all the world like she was genuinely just teaching a lesson, not vengeful in the slightest. "So here to teach you from his own grand mistakes is your principal, Mr. Damocles."

Nino became aware of muffled shouting as something was dragged into the room through the open door, seeing difficult since he couldn't turn very far, but it was easy enough to make out from his peripheral. It was their principal alright, but… cocooned it looked like, restrained in thousands of pieces of paper binding him completely. He was dragged in by nothing it looked like, floating off the ground with paper shoved in his mouth so no one could understand what he was saying, but he looked afraid. Made sense.

"Y-you villain!" Ms. Purple Spikes decided to speak up, cowering on the floor and hiding beneath the teacher's desk, only the tips of her hair and the top of her glasses visible. "Villain!"

The akuma turned, sighing heavily and looking down on Ms. Mendeleiev with a genuine kind of disappointment.

"I said no disruptions," she reiterated calmly, extending the hand holding the folder. "But for your eagerness you will be included in the lesson today."

Nino swallowed in fear, only able to look on as all at once thousands of pieces of paper erupted from the black folder, overwhelming and completely swallowing his science teacher in a flurry of motion. Students screamed in fright as their teacher was overtaken, and then suddenly the tornado had subsided and in its place was a huge cocoon just like their principal's, Ms. Mendeleiev gagged and terrified.

Nino was shaking, the constraints of his backpack really starting to dig into his arms, his heart threatening to burst. Holy crap this was next level… this was bad.

The akuma stood straight, smiling calmly, her two cocoons floating on either side of her.

"Okay class," she started simply, still smiling. "Today we are learning about respect. I've always imagined it to be an inherent lesson but some people no matter how old they become never really grasp its meaning. It is hard to fully understand but I feel some people don't even try." Her eyes shifted over to Mr. Damocles and Nino felt fear spark in his heart for the old man. He was definitely in the middle of this. "You would think that a teacher who has worked tirelessly for you and your school would have earned some sort of decency but it would seem not. Do you see my class Mr. Damocles? Do you see how well they sit? They might scream but they are well behaved, they learn. My scores are high, my children enjoy coming to class. They _respect_ me but do you? No. You didn't think twice of taking my class away from me, _my students_. The kids I've worked with since the start of the school year. You would so casually switch my rooms mid-year without even considering me, without hearing anything I had to say. You didn't care that I loved these kids, it didn't even matter to you. You just wanted my high scores in the upper grades. **You didn't care at all**."

She was getting gradually more emotional, ignoring Mr. Damocles' frantic muffled excuses. She was getting angry, in his face.

"You didn't even consider that I might get more from this that a _paycheck_."

"You aren't going to get away with this!" a voice suddenly screamed to his right, and he tensed, instantly twice as terrified. Because it was Alya.

"You don't scare us! Cat Noir and Ladybug are going to save u-"

"NO MORE DISRUPTIONS!" Ms. Bustier's twisted angry form shouted, paper instantly flying from her folder and gagging Alya as well, hurting her somewhat judging by the pained scream.

Students were getting restless, fighting off screams to keep from being gagged themselves and Nino's teeth were clenched, his arms starting to tingle and hurt just from lack of blood flow. But Alya was right, Cat Noir and Ladybug were going to show up any second now, they we-were not going to do anything. They weren't going to be anywhere at all anytime soon because they were _just as stuck as he was_.

Nino looked past Alya who was thrashing in her seat to see both Adrien and Marinette furiously trying to get free from their restraints and failing. They were stuck, bound to their seats just like him, stuck in that classroom just like him.

Batman and Cat Woman couldn't do crap.

…could Alfred?

'No,' his brain immediately tried to rationalize, 'No no he can't Alfred is a butler he should just be quiet and wait for stuff to fix itself.'

But Nino looked over again at his friends, faces set in determination but unable to move. Unable to do anything. No one could do anything, and Rose had started to cry somewhere in the back of the class. The akuma was ranting again, Alya was trying to push the paper from her mouth. No one was coming, no one would. There was no one to save the day.

Except a really really stupid butler.

"MS. BUSTIER," Nino's voice suddenly dominated the classroom, everyone turning to look at him to the best of their ability, both Adrien and Marinette wide eyed in fear for the first time.

"Nino," Ms Bustier sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, but he was speaking again, his words rushed.

"I would have raised my hand but I can't!"

Nino was shaking, staring at his crazy supervillain teacher and trying to plan ahead. She stopped, staring at him before she nodded, seemingly appeased with his logic.

"Yes then?"

"I need to pee."

… everyone froze more than they already had, an indignant 'What!?' heard somewhere behind him but he forged on.

"Like really really bad, please. Isn't there something in the handbook? You've got to let me go right? You're the best teacher in the world Mr. Damocles doesn't know jack, a super awesome great very cool teacher like you wouldn't not let me pee that's totally bogus."

Nino waited, ignoring the tense, 'Nino!' he heard somewhere from his right, probably Marinette. He was absolutely terrified but… he glanced over at Alya. Her eyes were watering.

He couldn't fight that thing… there was nothing he could do to save his friend. So he was going to fight like hell to make sure the people who _could_ do the fighting were able to, even if he was terrified.

Ms. Bustier was silent, contemplating his reasoning before nodding again, and Nino dragged in an uninhibited lungful of air as his backpack stopped being a douchebag and let him go.

"Alright you may go to the restroom but hurry. You won't want to miss the lesson once Ladybug and Cat Noir arrive."

Everyone who could watched as Nino stood, placing his hands flat on the desk and closing his eyes to steady himself.

In a low voice he said, "I'm not saying anything to anyone in particular I'm just saying, Alfred absolutely deserves a raise."

And he stepped down, feeling the weight of his classmates eyes as he started to make his way towards the door.

Ms. Bustier was lecturing again, stood in front of all the restrained students and talking calmly, not even watching him as he paused in front of the open door, his road to total freedom right there, but he didn't take it. Couldn't. Not when his friends were still in danger.

Nino swore he could hear his own heart beating louder than anything else, droning out the teacher's words until it really just looked like her mouth was moving as he walked up to her, closing the safe distance between them and joining her at the front of the class.

He didn't back down even as she turned to regard him, raising an eyebrow as she stared him down behind her reading glasses.

Inwardly he was praying that he would be forgiven for his actions, and that he might live long enough to feel that forgiveness, but all he could think about was Alya's eyes tearing up in pain, and his friends sealed in their restraints.

So through his absolute terror he reeled back, balling his hand into a tight and trembling fist… and with all his power,

He punched Ms. Bustier right in the fucking face, and ran like hell.


	11. Chapter 11

"OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY!"

Nino tore around the corner, skidding and almost losing his balance but his momentum kept him moving forward, the poor terrified boy screaming his lungs out as he outran a furious tornado of paper filling the hallway behind him.

"Physical violence will NOT be tolerated!" a woman's voice screamed behind him, echoing through the almost deafening sound of paper whipping in an invisible wind.

"What do you call this then!?" he somehow found the nerve to shout, flying down the stairs and towards the main entrance of the school. He racked his brain for ANYWHERE in Paris that was deserted, anywhere there wasn't people to put at risk but nowhere came to mind. Paris wasn't really a place for empty spots in the middle of the day, so he just ran, bursting out the main doors still screaming and running through the street.

He kept up the pace, aware the whole time of his crazed teacher flying behind him. He only managed to stay ahead by constantly changing direction, running through traffic as cars skidded to a stop and horns blared violently in his ears. But he didn't care much for them, he was focused on not _dying_ in a papery grave.

In retrospect, which he had little of at that exact second, just punching an akuma probably wasn't the best plan. However it had been the ONLY plan, and the only option for driving the enemy away from both his friends and the incognito heroes who needed to save the day. Preferably they would save the day any second now because DJ's weren't always known for their athletic prowess, but he had enough incentive from not dying to keep his legs moving.

Nino turned a street corner, even more panic spearing through him as he saw no immediate places to dodge, no doorways or alleyways. He couldn't win in a straight shot she was way too fast, and just like that he was slammed into the ground.

Nino gasped, his hat flying off and his headphones breaking in half from the force of his fall. He could feel paper grabbing at his limbs, encasing everything below his neck until he couldn't even move.

Two blocks, that's what he had bought his friends. He hoped like hell that it was enough, because now he could see the shadow of his teacher standing over him and his heart pounded in his chest as he fought off a whimper. If he was going to die from papercuts and sharpened pencils he was going to do it like a man.

"Oh god don't kill me!" he shouted as his body was lifted from the ground, his macho resolution falling away almost instantly. He was levitating it seemed like, turning in the air to face his teacher as she glared at him.

"I expected more from you Nino this behavior is NOT acceptable at school or anywhere else for that matter, before you point out that we aren't on school grounds. I won't let this go unpunished, however I have some very important lessons to teach and you are only compromising my schedule. So you'll be coming with me."

"W-with you like as friends or?" Nino asked, not much hope in his voice as she leveled him with another glare, lifting both of them into the air and starting to fly back towards the school. "That's cool, I understand I did hit you, and I'm mega sorry about that but uh, needed to be done."

"Don't you rationalize your behavior with me young man," she hissed, and he would have flinched if he could move even an inch in his casing.

Nino could barely look around but he prayed and prayed that his stupid stunt had gotten her far enough away or at least distracted enough to release the other students. Maybe just given them enough time to escape. It would be some pretty bad news if he was just stuck now.

 ** _"Might I make a suggestion Educator?"_**

Nino felt sweat break out on the back of his neck, his whole body instinctively cold as he heard a deep and amused voice suddenly speak from somewhere near him. It was sort of muffled and distant, but it was there.

"Yes Hawkmoth?" he heard Ms. Bustier, or apparently the _Educator_ because THAT was a supercool name. Well, he was Bubbler so… probably couldn't poke fun. He was more focused on the fact that he was definitely listening to the big bad give instructions to the still pretty bad but not as bad bad guy.

 ** _"He made a fool of you in front of your precious students, so make use of him. Ladybug and Cat Noir can never resist a civilian in harm's way, take advantage of their compassion and use the boy as leverage. That should be more than enough revenge for such a heinous disruption."_**

"Oh good thanks for that…" Nino almost whimpered, wriggling fiercely to try and free himself to no avail.

Great, Alfred had just gotten promoted from butler to hostage, incredibly helpful of him. He had just given his friends another problem.

He heard Ms. Bustier's voice giggle in a feminine but still creepy way. "What a persuasive teaching tool, I'm sure we can teach those heroes some manners."

"Oh please do!" another female's voice rang out and Nino instantly cheered in joy. "My cat's got terrible people skills and he won't use the litterbox."

"You keep it in the laundry room and the dryers too loud."

Nino could feel himself violently being turned around as the Educator whirled to face her enemies, angling Nino in such a way that he could _just_ see a sarcastic grinning Cat Noir standing on a nearby rooftop just below them. He felt a giddy laugh slip out, extremely happy that he was going to live and that also his plan had worked. They were both there, a flash of red catching his eye, he had actually helped.

"How you hanging in there Nino?" Cat Noir called up, the Educator huffing in professional frustration.

"I'm good," he responded, his voice shaking a little as he noticed just how stupid high they were. "She broke my headphones and I lost my hat."

"Oh I'm sorry bro. Least you're alive."

"Enough interruptions!" Ms. Bustier cut it, a flash of black in the corner of his vision as she brandished her folder as a weapon. "I won't have you get in my way!"

"Sorry Mam' but school's out of session!" Ladybug's voice called out, and Nino's whole world lurched sharply to the right as the akuma dodged an attack Nino hadn't seen. Just like that they dropped rapidly, Nino screaming out of instinct as he felt weightless for a second, convinced he was plummeting to his death before they were rocketing off again, a flurry of paper whipping around them to deter Ladybug's yo-yo.

Nino continued to scream, pride be damned, as a fight took place that he could barely see. The only thing he was really involved in was when Ladybug called out, "Don't worry Nino we're going to get you out of there!"

To which he replied in a high terrified voice, "Take your time!"

Nino's position as hostage gave the akuma almost no advantage at all because she hadn't had enough time to capitalize on it, so Nino was mostly propelled along behind her as she sent out one attack after another. Nino saw Cat Noir flash past him as the fight was brought onto a rooftop, baton brandished as he went for the folder. Nino could hear his friends strategizing, calling out to each other and planning their next move as well as a fair few puns from Adrien, or well he was Cat right then.

The next thing Nino knew he had fallen, his encased body sliding along the roof tiles and towards the edge of the roof. He had been screaming (well he had been screaming the whole time mostly but this was particularly loud) as his face suddenly pitched downwards and he was faced with a long drop onto a hard sidewalk. However as he was falling he never quite made it there, and all at once he was shooting away from the ground, crashing and rolling back on the rooftop so hard that some of the paper around his arms was actually knocked loose.

"Are you okay!?" he heard Marinette's voice calling out, but he was so turned around and disoriented that he didn't manage a response. Everything was happening too damn fast… he had no idea where anything was.

He vaguely heard, "Stall her! I'm getting him out!' before his body was being lifted again, his stiff limbs starting to hurt as he was awkwardly pitched over someone's shoulder.

When Nino was finally focused again he yelped in fright as he saw that yet again he was nowhere near the ground, flying through the air while being held by Ladybug, his friend getting a few blocks away before sliding down to street level and setting him on the ground.

That alleyway was the first stable thing Nino had looked at in a while, and though he still had trouble moving he was way safer there then he was anywhere else.

Ladybug's face filled his vision and her face was contorted in worry as she shook his stiff barely moving shoulders.

"Nino are you okay!? Seriously respond!"

His heart was thumping erratically in his chest, his head filled with 'Oh my god I didn't die,' as he looked into Marinette's sweet, scared, masked face.

"I'm good B," he finally said, managing something sort of like a smile. "Go get the bad guy I'm fine."

"Are you hurt?! What were you _thinking_ pulling a stunt like that!? Your plan was just punch her and run!?"

Nino was starting to get more grounded now, enough so that he actually huffed in indignant irritation.

"Hey that punch and run plan was more than you had! I got you out!"

"We should have just waited for Cat Noir to show up!" she shot back, gritting her teeth when he used his limited motion to shake his head.

"Wasn't gonna wait around for that, the important thing is it _worked,_ I'm fine, and you have somewhere you need to be, so GO!"

She stood there for a second, glaring at him but obviously conflicted. She looked nervously back the way they had come before finally she sighed, turning away from him and prepping her yo-yo.

"We'll stop her, you should be freed once we cleanse the akuma but _don't_ _ **leave**_. I want to see you **right here** when I get back to talk about your plan of action."

Nino likes to think he would have said something snarky and funny if he had been given the chance, but she was off again like a shot. He was suddenly alone, barely able to move and in an awkward, uncomfortable position in an alleyway.

"That happened way too fast," he muttered aloud to himself, trying to shift his weight a little. "Everyone just needs to chill."

He sat there in silence for some time, his stiff, plastered body slowly sliding down the wall until he was laying on the ground with his face pressed uncomfortably against the dirty slightly smelly ground. He sighed.

"Please hurry…"

* * *

Nino had pretty much zoned out, quietly contemplating how mad his friends were going to be and how best to defend himself. There wasn't really much of a defense though he had socked Ms. Bustier in the face and hit the road with a crazy supervillain on his butt. Was it irrational? Definitely, however it worked out so whatever. Also, he had come to the conclusion that the miraculous cure spell should totally fix his headphones so in the long term everything was coming up Nino.

He was only forced to lay cramping on the ground for about ten minutes before he felt the paper evaporating from his limbs, a sharp red light washing over him and healing even the discomfort from being frozen for so long.

Nino sighed out heavily in relief, getting to his feet and brushing himself off, very pleased to find his hat and headphones replaced.

'Should probably wait for B… Adrien will be worried too though. Can't see them both though, maybe he's detransformed already and I can message him… Would school be canceled? The fuss was only in our class probably not. Damn, was kind of hoping to go home but I should head for school.

…Am I in shock? I'm taking this very well. Eh, maybe I'm just tired, or maybe my brain just broke from all the screaming I did.'

Nino was still, standing in the alleyway not moving at all.

'Yeah shock I think. Welp. Whatever.'

Nino slowly reached up, putting his headphones on and plugging them into his phone. And to the slowly building tempo of Electric Feel he slowly pounded his forehead against the alleyway wall.

He got a good ways into the song before he was interrupted, singing quietly to himself to sooth his frazzled nerves.

"I say ooo girl, she shock me like an electr- aaAHH" he shouted in fear, convinced he was being attacked again as he was suddenly grabbed by the shoulders and turned around, his headphones falling to his shoulders as he was faced with Ladybug's wrath.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?" she said immediately, pushing a finger into his chest and forcing him to back up against the wall. A small involuntary noise of fright escaped him as she started to rant, her words almost unintelligible as she waved her hands around her in anger, absolutely besides herself. Nino found himself just watching her face, now over the initial 'Oh god don't hurt me' and moving on to 'man she can talk _really_ fast.'

"You can't just do that I wasn't there to back you up right away what if she had done something really bad you would have been a _hostage_! That's **exactly** what I've wanted to avoid with all this! I know we were in a rough spot but-"

"Hey you said it," he cut in, stunning her into momentary silence as he crossed his arms, frowning at her. "You were in a tough spot. People were in danger and you needed to be out and about so I got you _out and about_. You're welcome."

Her mouth dropped open as she shouted indignantly, "Do you expect me to _thank you!?_ "

"Hell yeah I do I almost died!" he responded immediately, still frowning and staring at her seriously.

He watched her struggle with the thought for a moment, battling with her anger at his recklessness and the cold hard truth that she would have been screwed without him.

Score for Alfred.

"Thank you," she finally said, the sentiment a little forced but genuine enough that he grinned, however his cheer was lost again as she went right back to being angry. "But if you _ever_ -"

Suddenly she was interrupted again, this time though it wasn't Nino who did it. Instead it was someone shouting in the street, sounding frantic and urgent.

"NINO," it was screaming, heading in their direction. "Dude where are you!?"

Nino tensed, staring into Ladybug's eyes for a full second as he rapidly assessed the situation. Because he knew _exactly_ who that was, and he also knew the voice wasn't coming from the rooftops, so the likely hood that it was his friend's super alter ego was fairly low. Meaning that in about 0.2 seconds there was going to be an Adrien, and he had a Ladybug.

And all at once Nino knew how to get away scot free.

* * *

From Adrien's perspective one second he had been running down the street, desperately looking for his best friend, and the next he was being grabbed by the arm and pulled into the darkness of an alleyway.

Adrien skidded to a stop, almost losing his balance and falling headfirst into a trash bin before he steadied himself. He looked up, relieved to see Nino standing there safe and sound, apparently having been the one to grab him. However not a second later he was distracted, because right there just a few feet from them was Ladybug, and he was absolutely Adrien just then.

Nino's scheduled rendezvous for the two of them came flooding back to mind, and abruptly Nino was the only one without an extremely red face.

"Uuuuh, uh," Adrien stuttered, trying to swallow and failing, forgetting his intention to throttle Nino for his stupidity in the face of actually seeing Ladybug look _flustered_.

She was standing right there, in an alleyway having obviously been confronting Nino like he intended to. God she looked so caught off guard, her eyes wide and face red beneath her scarlet mask, her arms close to her chest as she stared at him.

Adrien was frozen, barely registering that Nino was talking, lamely and off-handedly introducing the two of them like they were complete strangers. For all they thought the other knew they _were_ strangers, but how could they be. What two strangers stood frozen like this, staring at each other at a complete loss for what to do? Adrien Agreste faced with Ladybug, the girl he now knew… for whatever insane reason liked _him_.

"Cool to meet a hero huh?" Nino's voice slowly reached him, sounding smug for some reason as he slowly stepped away. "You guys should talk I bet you have a lot in common. Well you know this alley is kind of small and I don't want to crowd it up. Haha threes a crowd am I right? Yeah so I'm just gonna head back to school, you kids chat have a nice time and I'll see you guys later!"

Nino took a step away, taking advantage of the fact that the two of them were well distracted with the face of their crush and trying to escape before Adrien managed to snap out of it somewhat, whirling around to grab him by the shoulder.

"Hey no you don't! You don't jus- you can't just run off I'm still pissed at you!"

Nino stared at his friend, not even trying to hide his huff of irritation.

"You're mad at me for saving the day? Oh no, how terrible and short sighted of me."

Adrien blanched at Nino's irritable snark but still glared, green eyes flashing in anger. "Don't say that you could have _died!_ "

"Didn't," Nino reminded him, looking past Adrien to see Ladybug still red faced and frozen to the spot. Nino withheld another sigh, grinding his teeth together. Try and help and he gets scolded, what was the deal man? "Uh hey buddy I sort of just introduced you to your long time crush you really gonna stiff her like this?" Nino grinned, "Seems sort of rude broski."

Adrien tensed so hard Nino could have sworn he would break in two, his face flushed such a startling shade of red Nino was almost concerned. If Adrien had looked mad before that was _nothing_ compared to now, and Ladybug looked about half a second away from fainting as Nino just grinned cheerily.

"It's stunning I know, shes amazing I get why you always talk about her so much but hey don't let me crowd the scene! Haha yeah you guys chat and uh hey I can't hang or nothing tonight I know we had talked about it. So I guess you're free with nothing to do tonight, if there is anything anyone wanted to do with that information. You know just if that was something you wanted to consider."

Nino stretched, smiling at how freaking _mortified_ Adrien looked but eh, Nino didn't feel that bad. His friends had had the nerve to scold him for helping so this was payback enough. Plus they were too slow to do anything on their own. He had almost been held hostage and murdered by his teacher, this was fair.

"N-Nino!" Ladybug managed to stutter out, but he was exiting the alleyway now, walking backwards and waving.

"I'll be at school! Got to get that learning done you know but you take your time Adrien I'll cover for you. Cause I'm cool like that so I'll see you later! Bye!"

"NINO!' two voices shouted after him but he was already sprinting away, deserting the two of them to survive each other's company as he fled towards campus. Adrien was absolutely going to show up not long after him with murder in mind so he might as well make some distance. He couldn't help but snicker to himself. He had finally gotten them in the same area, he really was the greatest wingman.

* * *

In a dark room far into the city with a single large window stood a man, his knuckles white beneath dark gloves as they threatened to snap his cane in two.

He was getting frustrated, as was becoming a perpetual condition of his existence thanks to the frustrations presented in the forms of an insignificant bug and her mangy cat. Patience was key but he was running short… but even still a slow cruel smile spread across his masked face.

Hawkmoth chuckled to himself, the sound filling the room and disturbing the gently glowing white butterflies that hovered around him, restlessly beating their wings as their masters laughter grew.

"You might have failed me Educator," his deep voice rumbled, still slightly entertained, "but perhaps you have taught _me_ something of value instead."

Hawkmoth raised a hand, the cane clutched firmly in it cracking against the ground as he brought it down. Shimmering out on the wings of white butterflies was a wavering and indistinct image of a young boy with a red cap, the still from when he had been in the Educator's possession.

"I wonder young man…" he murmured to himself as the large window started to slowly close. His grin ever wicked even in the encroaching darkness.

"How did such an unassuming boy become so acquainted with superheroes? They seemed rather familiar with you… I wonder. If I were to come across you again, just how far would your masked friends go to save you?"

His laugh rang out as the room was swallowed in darkness, his voice mixed with the beating of butterfly wings.

"Let us find out."


	12. Chapter 12

Nino was still chuckling happily to himself as he climbed the steps to the school's main entrance, looking over his shoulder every few feet in anticipation of Adrien's flustered rage. He managed to make it inside before ever spotting his red faced friend, starting to climb the stairs towards his second floor classroom when he heard the first shout.

"NINO that was freaking AWESOME!"

The DJ looked up as he made it to the second level, jumping slightly in surprise when he saw his classmate Alix barreling towards him with the rest of the class at her back, minus Marinette and Adrien.

"Dude!" she was still saying as she ran up to him, jumping and punching him pretty hard in the shoulder, enough force behind it to make him wince. "That was so cool you just straight up _punched her_ and you aren't dead? That's what I call a hero!"

A small crowd formed around him and Nino stared at them wide eyed, unsure of how to respond as Kim walked up to him, leaning his weight on him as he threw an arm around his shoulders.

"That's a pretty wicked punch you've got there Nino," Kim was saying, "Never would have thought you had it in you!"

Max spoke next, adjusting his glasses and looking at him in genuine surprise.

"Your probability of survival was next to none, but you're somehow still standing here. I'm impressed."

Rose drew attention to herself with a high giggle, clasping her hands before her chest and cooing, "You were so brave! I would have been too scared to move, you were amazing! As soon as you distracted her we were all freed, we might have _died_ without you!"

Everyone agreed, cheering and clapping as Nino just laughed awkwardly, adjusting his cap and kicking his shoe against the ground.

"Ah guys come on, I'm not a hero. I knew Ladybug and Cat Noir would show to back me up, _they're_ the real guys who saved the day," he said after a moment, sort of admitting it to himself as much as he did his peers. He was sort of miffed with the heroes for scolding him but he really would have been in trouble if they hadn't showed.

"You're wrong," a new voice suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to the top of the stairs where Adrien stood with his arms crossed.

Adrien walked forward, being let into the circle of students to stand by Nino, leveling him with a strong gaze as he said, "It might have been stupid and reckless but you're a hero. You drew the akuma out into the open, Ladybug and Cat Noir wouldn't have been able to do anything if you hadn't stepped in." Adrien rolled his eyes, sighing for a reason no one knew except for Nino. "It was _stupid_ but it needed to be done, and we all owe you big time."

Nino blinked, staring at his friend as a small smile grew on Adrien's face, the blond shaking his ehad again but giving in somewhat to Nino's delight.

Nino grinned, clapping Adrien on the back and laughing before saying, "I'll take that in place of a raise."

Adrien laughed too while everyone else just looked confused, no one noticing as Marinette quietly slipped in to join the group. Everyone only noticed she was there when she suddenly called out down the hallway towards their principal who had just appeared.

"Mr. Damocles!" she shouted, waving her arms over her head, "Sir can we talk to you please? Just for a second?"

The class looked between Marinette and their principal who started to walk over, Mr. Damocles effectively ignoring her and walking straight over to Nino with a smile.

"Ah young Nino!" he said when he arrived, setting his hands on Nino's shoulders. "Your actions were rather heroic today, the school owes you its thanks."

"Uh no problem," Nino said back uncertainly, looking over as Marinette forced her way into the interaction with an apologetic smile.

"Uh sir," she said quietly, her hands wrapped around each other. "I'm sorry, but why are you trying to move Ms. Bustier's classroom?'

All of the gathered students blinked once before looking up at their principal who suddenly looked slightly irritated, a murmur picking up as Marinette forced everyone to remember the cause of what had happened.

"That is an adult matter young miss," Mr. Damocles said evasively, but then Adrien spoke up, hands on his hips.

"Sir that isn't fair is it? To just move her classrooms in the middle of the year. She's worked incredibly hard Marinette is right to question it."

"Yeah!" Nino jumped in, backing away from Mr. Damocles' hands. "She is our teacher, switching her out is bogus!"

Mr. Damocles sputtered a moment, looking around at the students as they started to rally against him. "This is a matter of faculty, and not-"

Alya spoke next, fearlessly getting in the principal's face. "That isn't cool! She works so hard you can't just do that to her! Don't think this is staying off the school blog, I'm sure everyone in the whole school would agree that moving her is wrong." Alya shifted her weight onto one hip, waggling her phone in one hand like it was a weapon as she added, "And I'm sure a lot of the board members will have something to say about such an intricate matter being public knowledge."

Nino grinned at the savvy reporter, Mr. Damocles looking thoroughly backed into a corner. Leave it to Alya to go for the balls.

The owl like man adjusted his coat, murmuring under his breath something like, "Perhaps the decision could be reviewed…" before walking away, retreating to his office as Alya stood triumphantly.

"Nice one," Nino complimented her as the students started to return to their classroom, a few making a point of saying kind things to their teacher as they entered. "He's gonna think twice before crossing you."

"As he should," Alya said with a grin, looking at him over her glasses. "And everyone should think twice before crossing you now too, that was pretty cool back there. Never knew you could do something so brave. Adrien's right, we really owe you."

Nino stared at her, laughing a little bashfully and looking over at Marinette and Adrien who still stood nearby though not together. "Uh, well thanks. Just did what needed doing."

"If you think you're getting away without an interview you're dead wrong," Alya said with a laugh, walking away towards Marinette to drag her towards the classroom. She called over her shoulder to Nino just before crossing through the door, saying, "So don't try and leave before I get one!"

Nino stared after her for a few seconds before chuckling to himself, looking over as he realized it was only himself and Adrien left in the hallway, the model back to looking a little miffed all of a sudden.

"What's your deal?" Nino started to say, before yelping as Adrien socked him in the arm.

"Thanks for just _ditching me with LB_!" he hissed, slightly red in the face again as Nino started to laugh in his face.

"Hey you're welcome, are you meeting up with her tonight or what?"

Adrien blanched, looking away nervously even though he was still smiling a little. "Uh, yeah. She's gonna come over…"

Nino hooted as he punched the air, his arm a little sore. "Aw yeah! Dude are you guys gonna go to dinner or something?"

"No!" Adrien answered quickly, looking around to make sure no one was listening. "She's a superhero dude it's not like we can make a reservation somewhere. She's just coming over to hang out."

"You're a hero too," Nino said unhelpfully with a shrug of the shoulders, Adrien not looking terribly entertained. "But hey chilling is fine. Just relax, have fun, it's all good."

"All good?" Adrien said back in an exasperated voice, pacing in the hallway and betraying just how nervous he really was. "Dude I have no idea what we're gonna do! Like, we could… I don't even know does she like movies? Do I even have movies in my room? I could get some…"

Nino couldn't help but roll his eyes, wondering to himself how far he was going to have to carry this thing before saying, "She loves video games, play some of those."

Adrien stopped instantly, looking up at him with an amazed expression. "She likes video games? What kinds? I have loads! Does she have a system she likes the best?"

Nino laughed, aware that they had been out of class for a little while now and needed to get back in before it started back up. "Yes, she's a big nerd just like you. She loves story and cute crap and fighting and lots of stuff." Nino thought something over, pulling from his facts of Marinette and remembering a conversation they had had about video games from what seemed like forever ago. "She hasn't played Kingdom Hearts and she's always wanted to. You can play that, or like Mario Kart or something whatever is fine. Chill out dude, you'll have a great time."

"Kingdom Hearts?" Adrien said uncertainly, stumbling as Nino pushed him towards the classroom. "I can do that… that would be fine, maybe I can have food sent to my room? What food does she like?"

"Go," Nino said with a laugh, shoving Adrien along before backing away down the hall himself. "I've got to pee, tell Ms. B I'll be in in a sec, and then I promise I will help you plan your date okay? She loves sweets."

Adrien stood in the doorway, looking distracted and a little distant before nodding and opening the door.

Nino sighed, a smile on his face as he started to head towards the boy's bathroom. Nino was probably going to be on wingman duty all day, constant texts and notes in class until Adrien got a little more sur eof himself. He'd do it of course, this is what he had been working towards, but still it was funny to see how flustered he was. And he had no clue that the girl he was obsessing over sat literally right behind him.

"Everybody is blind dude…" Nino said to himself as he entered the empty bathroom, making his way towards a urinal.

"I know," a small voice suddenly quipped, freezing Nino in his tracks. "But you didn't notice either till it was right in your face!"

Nino shrieked when he felt something crawling up his leg, furiously shaking his pant leg until out popped a small flying black cat he recognized as Plagg, the kwami twirling in the air with a cackle.

Nino whipped around furiously, making totally sure he was alone before hissing, "Plagg what the hell you scared the crap out of me!"

"Good thing we're in a bathroom then huh?" Plagg snickered, looking around the area and scrunching up his nose. "Ugh, still smells though let's go somewhere else."

"No! I came in here because I needed to pee, _why were you in my jeans_!?"

Plagg crossed his little arms, looking bored as he said, "I needed to talk to you and like you said everyone is blind. I jumped ship while everyone was yelling at the owl guy."

Nino stared before screwing his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose as he said, "Okay. _Why?_ "

Nino jolted when he felt a weight on the brim of his hat, looking up to see Plagg lounging over the edge to stare at him upside down much like Tikki had when they first met. "Cause I wanted to talk to you! I need you to do something for me."

"Oh?" Nino said in a monotone voice, already sort of dreading what was required of him. From what Adrien had told him Plagg liked to cause trouble.

"Look," Plagg said shaking his little ears and getting comfortable. "I don't want to sit through Adrien's dumb date, so I'm going to go with you until he's done with it. You have Camembert at your place right?"

"What!?" Nino said incredulously, reaching up to snatch Plagg off his hat. "You want to come over? You can't just bail on Adrien what if there is an akuma attack?"

Plagg shrugged, not seeming terribly worried. "There was already one today, and if there is another Lady Luck can deal with it. Or you can, you'll just punch it right?" Plagg laughed at his own joke, wriggling against Nino's hold but the DJ held him tight.

"Would Adrien even be cool with that?" Nino asked uncertainly, but Plagg just scoffed.

"I don't need his permission! And he definitely didn't ask me before expecting me to sit through him stuttering in front of Ladybug for hours on end. Just tell him I'm with you, he'll be fine. Your hat looks comfy," Plagg said suddenly, bursting free from Nino's hold and clambering up his face with push up into Nino's cap, snuggling into his hair as Nino just stood there awkwardly.

"I- dude I need to pee! Go wait outside or something!"

"I'm not looking!" Plagg shouted back, his voice muffled from on top of his head and Nino sighed heavily. He looked at the urinal for a moment before groaning and just leaving the restroom, deciding he'd rather just really need to pee then try and go with Plagg there.

Nino sent Adrien a rather basic text saying something unhelpful like, "Your cat is sleeping in my hat so don't trip that he's not with you," as he walked back to class. He walked in as Adrien was reading it, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow to which Nino just shrugged in response.

Nino never quite got used to having Plagg wriggling around on top of his head for the rest of the school day, constantly distracted as the cat shifted through his hair and even kneaded at his scalp to get comfortable.

Adrien asked him for an explanation at some point through a passed note in science class, and he told him the truth. Plagg didn't want to be bothered with his date so he wanted to stay with Nino until the next day. Adrien was pretty reluctant but gave in sooner than Nino would have guessed, probably thinking that maybe not having the trickster around for something so important would actually be a good thing.

'Guess I'm babysitting,' Nino thought to himself, barely paying attention as the school day progressed. Hopefully there wasn't much he needed to do, just buy a bunch of cheese right? He'd have to go to a store after school probably. Stay in his bedroom. Couldn't leave him unattended, he might chew through something.

Super powerful god, sleeping in his baseball cap. He sighed. His life was weird now man.

* * *

Nino made it through the rest of the day bouncing between sending Marinette encouraging texts and answering Adrien's constant questions as best he could. He found himself more than once looking between the two of them in class, wondering how the hell something so ridiculous had come to pass. Just… what are the chances man? Two superheroes in one classroom? Two superheroes who were in love with each other in a weird confusing way like less than three feet from each other at any given time?

That was so stupid.

He shipped it so much, there was really no way it wouldn't work out. They were perfect for each other. The more he thought about it the less surprised he became. It made sense that they would always be drawn together in life, they were made for each other.

Just kiss you idiots… he sighed again, looking down at his lap to answer another text from Marinette on the down low, snickering to himself when he felt Plagg tumble forward when he tilted his head.

Alright, so the agenda. He was probably going to be on call all through the date, reassuring them both as much as he could. Probably getting phone calls whenever one of them left the room. He was going to have to watch Plagg, keep him from complaining too much which sounded exhausting. He had loads of homework and a project to finish, and he should probably make some copies if he had the time. He seriously doubted either of the super duo would do their school work that night.

Didn't sound way too hard, Plagg couldn't be that much of a handful right?

* * *

'N- I'm going to strangle your cat.'

Adrien blinked at the text message for a long second before sighing to himself, typing out an exasperated, 'What did he do?' before shaking his head.

Adrien set his phone down on the bed, still unlocked and facing up as Nino typed out a response. Adrien tried to keep his gaze from flickering up to the time displayed on the top of the screen but failed, nervously fidgeting with the knot of his tie as he read 8:25 PM for the dozenth time that minute alone.

He had five more minutes until she was supposed to be there.

Adrien jumped when the phone vibrated, not even able to manage a laugh when he read Nino's furious message he was so nervous.

'N- He chewed through my freaking headphones because I said I wasn't going to go and buy him even more of his stupid smelly cheese! He eats like a locust, he's draining my wallet why can't he like something cheap.'

Adrien stared at the words, assuring Nino he would pay him back before looking at the time again.

8:26 PM.

Was a tie too much? He asked himself that for the thousandth time. Probably, they were just playing video games right? He tore it off, fidgeting with his white button up shirt and rolling up the sleeves. That was better right? More casual?

This was so stupid, they were best friends. They were partners they had fought side by side for so long now he knew her so well. Yet somehow this still felt so jarring, like he was meeting her for the first time. In a way he sort of was, as Adrien. Intimately anyways. It was stupid how easy it was to wink and smile when he had a mask to hide behind, but how without it he felt such a sharp churn of anxiety in his stomach.

He wanted her to have a good time. He wanted her to laugh. He wanted to be her friend, with and without the mask. He wanted to ask her to dinner and have her say yes. He wanted to know what to _wear_.

Adrien groaned, dropping his head in his hands and clenching his teeth. This was _stupid_. They were friends! Talking to her was easy! Effortless! Then why the hell now did he feel like he wasn't going to be able to say a word and she hadn't even arrived?

What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to act? He wanted to just crack jokes and be himself but… wasn't that Cat Noir? She didn't like Cat Noir, she liked Adrien but who _was_ Adrien what was he supposed to do?

Adrien hesitated, lifting his face slightly as he thought back to about an hour earlier, Nino's words of comfort echoing in his mind as he had expressed the same insecurity.

'If you go into this as anyone other than yourself then that's all she's ever gonna love.'

Nino had said it so easily, during a phone call as Adrien had initially started to panic. He said it like it was simple, the only real answer and Adrien supposed it was. If he acted differently than even if things went well it wouldn't mean anything.

Adrien slowly straightened his back, fixing his brushed hair with one hand and breathing deeply. After a long moment, he actually smiled a little.

He really didn't know when Nino had gotten so… he didn't want to say smart. Nino had always been smart. Wise, he guessed, that was probably the right word. He still said 'dude' and 'broski' but he said some pretty true things too. Things that made Adrien feel more at ease. It was weird how sometimes it felt like Nino had just no clue what was happening, and other times it felt like Nino was the only one seeing the big picture. In this instance that was probably true. Nino had all the secrets and this was what he had done with them, orchestrated this moment for him.

Adrien sighed, looking again at the time on his phone passed a few raging text messages from his best friend to see the clock display 8:29 PM.

'You can't go in as anyone other than yourself…' Adrien thought to himself as the clock ticked over. 'Just be yourself… and if things work then… they work.'

And there was a knock at the window.


	13. Chapter 13

Adrien turned, his mind reeling with how he looked more in that moment then he ever had standing in front of a camera. Hair brushed, a simple white button up with the sleeves rolled up, no shoes just black socks and jeans. In his mind buzzed sharp unwelcome thoughts of rejection and anxiety, until his eyes fell on the window and all of those thoughts fell silent at the sight of a beautiful slightly nervous superhero hanging by a yo-yo string.

The two of them locked eyes, staring at each other for a long moment before Adrien jolted, remembering a second too late that he should probably let her in.

Adrien vaulted his couch, running to the window and surprising her a little as he threw open the window, laughing a little bashfully as an eager grin appeared even through his nervousness.

"Hey!" he said after a second, thoughtlessly extending a hand to help her in. "Uh, glad you found this place alright. Come on in."

She didn't say anything right away, hesitating a little before taking his offered hand and stepping onto the window sill, taking the extra step down to his floor before releasing her taunt grip on the yo-yo and drawing it back to her side.

"Thank you," she said in reply, hands close to her chest as she stepped away from the window to let Adrien close it. Once it was closed though neither of them were quite sure what to do.

There was a beat of awkward silence where both parties berated themselves for not knowing what to say, and both of them started to speak at once, cutting each other off.

"I'm glad you-"

"Thank you for-"

They both stopped, Adrien quick to say, "I'm sorry go ahead!"

"Oh no its fine I was- I just- I wanted to say thank you," Ladybug managed, hands twisting together behind her back, "for inviting me. Letting me come, I mean. Thank you."

Adrien stared, frozen to the spot when she looked him in the eye, caught off guard as he often was by her.

"You're good," he said after a moment's pause, shaking his head to break himself from his daze. "It's good I mean, it's- you're welcome. Thank you for coming. Getting to see you like this is really cool."

"Yeah," she replied, equally as dazed and quickly looking away, silence falling before she bit her lip and mustered up her courage.

"Uh, s-so. What would you like to do?"

Adrien instantly stood straighter, flashing a smile that was still just a tad nervous but a little more at ease all the same.

"Nino says you like video games, is that true?"

Ladybug brightened a little, smiling softly. "Yeah! You do? I- do you, I mean."

He chuckled a little at her flub, feeling a little hot in the face as he understood she was just as nervous as he was and for much the same reason. Thinking that still floored him.

"I love games, I have plenty if you wanted to play some. You can pick whatever you want but I did pull aside a few I thought you might like."

Adrien took a few steps away, signaling her to follow him onto the second level of his room where rows and rows of shelves stood waiting, burdened with the weight of hundreds of games. She actually gasped a little when she saw them, and he wondered if his wealth was a little… showy, but when he looked over she was smiling.

"This is awesome!" she said enthusiastically, looking up at him unhindered for exactly two seconds before her eyes widened and she giggled nervously, self-conscious once again. "It's cool. You have so many, for a lot of systems."

"Yup!" he agreed happily, finding confidence strangely enough in the lack of her own. It made him more determined to get a grip. "I've got a small stack based on what Nino has told me, if you wanted to look."

Adrien gestured to a pile of video games on a shelf, set to the side and on all different consoles, drawing Ladybug's interest as she pulled them into her hands.

She looked through the titles, intrigued by all of them but still a little distracted, looking up at him to ask, "So… has Nino told you a lot about me?"

Adrien stiffened before saying, "Oh no! Well yes but no, not a lot. He told me what kinds of games you like is all really, once I asked him what we should do once you came over. I uh, I never actually even knew you guys knew each other until I saw you with him after the akuma attack, he's never mentioned it."

She relaxed visibly at that, nodding to herself as if to confirm Nino's loyalty. She was sort of evasive as she kept picking through the games which he understood.

"Yeah I've run into him a few times after attacks and got to know him. He's nice."

"Yeah he's awesome," Adrien said, knowing full well that wasn't the truth but not pressing it. Obtaining the real answer from her was useless anyways. "He's an amazing friend."

"He is," she agreed instantly, both of them smiling to themselves.

There was a small space of silence before she said, "What is this?"

Adrien looked down, noticing the case for a game called Ni No Kuni in her hands and he grinned. "I figured that one would appeal to you. It's adorable, cool, an amazing story, and has totally awesome combat. Seemed right up your alley."

She smiled, looking up at him with a trace of that familiar Ladybug confidence. "You'd be right about that. Want to play it?"

"Yeah!" he said instantly, grinning happily and leading the way back towards the TV. He heard her giggle behind him and he swelled at the sound, his heart skipping a beat when she walked within even a foot of him. He never thought he'd have this moment, he had always dreamed but…

Just playing video games. Something so simple was so incredibly surreal.

He looked over his shoulder, watching as the superhero settled in on his couch and took a deep breath, turning to put the game in and grab a controller. He could do this, just be cool, just be friends. No pressure man you're already best friends right? She just didn't know that is all. No clue that he was her crime fighting partner. That's fine.

Adrien stood and turned on the TV enjoying the pleasant chime of the system turning on before finally turning back to face his lady. He strode around the coffee table, sitting beside her, a little closer then he might have dared before. Then he held out the controller with a smile, watching her as she watched him.

"I'll watch you play," he explained, smiling at her as she slowly took it, both of them aware of the others hands in the brief moment then connected.

"Okay," she said finally, and he could see the slight tint to her cheeks beneath the mask before she swallowed and looked towards the TV. He withheld a chuckle, watching her for a moment too long and embarrassing himself, glad he wasn't caught in the act though he was sure she must have noticed how much he lingered around her. He couldn't help it.

* * *

It was great, and surprisingly easy, to just sit there and play with her. At first they let the game be their conversation, both of them occasionally commenting on the story and sitting quietly through cut scenes. The first break in tension came from Ladybug when she gasped dramatically as the main characters mother fell to the ground, a side character saying frantically, 'The poor dear has always had a weak heart!'

"The mom is not having a heart attack right now is she?" Ladybug said, eyes glued to the screen and wide with horror. "That's not for real is it!?"

Adrien looked away from the cut scene to examine her expression, unable to contain his laughter at how genuinely horrified she looked. He was giggling as he said, "Well the milk lady just said she always had a weak heart."

"No!" Ladybug burst out again as the Mom character stopped moving on the ground, Ladybug's mouth open in shock, so perturbed by what was happening that she forgot all about being nervous. "She can't just die Oliver is only like, six! What's going to happen to Oliver!?"

"Who knows," Adrien said evasively, snickering when she shot a glare at him, "maybe the events of the rest of the game? I'm pretty sure the whole plot is about his mom."

"What is there to have plot she just _died!_ "

Adrien laughed loudly, getting a smile from her as he nearly doubled over. She started laughing too, chuckling a little nervously as she realized how silly she was being but ecstatic to have made him laugh.

" _She just_ _ **died!"**_ Adrien mimicked her, laughing again as she just giggled.

They kept playing, the air significantly lighter for that little moment. Adrien made an effort to make jokes, finding it easier to be silly the more time he spent with her, and to his delight she not only seemed to enjoy it but she reciprocated. It took a while, but soon she was making lame observations just as often as he was, rolling her eyes at his puns in such a familiar way that he came dangerously close to outing himself as Cat Noir way too many times.

They found themselves laughing every few minutes, Adrien wildly entertained at the discovery that Ni No Kuni was one of the most punny games ever. She even made a joke like "Cat Noir would _adore_ this game, especially this city. Ding Dong Dell? It's cat puns every three seconds. The king is King Tom! A Tom Cat! And everyone calls him _your meowjesty_."

Soon enough they didn't even need the game to present conversation for them, both of them just talking. Information shared was mostly one sided but he knew that couldn't be avoided, he just loved sharing jokes with her. She laughed and smiled, and he couldn't forget what he knew. She liked him, and seeing her there and the way she acted it just- it seemed true.

She had been there for several hours when he had a thought for the first time.

He loved this… he loved being her friend. It was everything to him he adored it, but he was also… worried wasn't the right word. They were comfortable now, that was great but…

Nino had said it, in the alleyway when they had both tried to confront him. " _your long time crush."_ Nino had insinuated that Adrien liked her but, if he could doubt himself even when he had directly heard Ladybug admit it he knew that she would doubt herself too. He thought back to when he had seen Ladybug and Nino together for the first time, back before Nino ever even knew it was him. She wanted Adrien to care for her, the real her. She wanted to get to know him, because she cared about him _romantically_.

He wanted her to know he was interested.

But how the hell to do that was just, it wasn't just beyond him it was utterly concealed. She was in his _room_ he couldn't just- make a move on her or something that was ridiculous. He toed a stupidly thin line. He wanted her to know that he liked her back but if he just said it it would intimidate her and she would also think that he was only saying that because she was a superhero which he wasn't. If he didn't say anything she might think they were just friends and lose confidence and not try anything else because she thought he didn't like her in the way that she wanted him to. If he tried to make it clear and it was too strong she might think he was a _creep_ who only wanted her to come over so he could hit on her which was sort of true but not in a creepy way and not even like that per say he just wanted to spend time with her but saying _that_ was also sort of creepy wasn't it?

"Um," he said suddenly, standing up abruptly from the couch as she was talking about some piece of the game. "Will you excuse me for just a sec?"

"Uh, sure! Yeah no problem," she said with a laugh, watching as he quickly jogged to the bathroom.

Must have really needed to go.

Adrien tried to refrain from slamming the bathroom door, immediately starting to pace as he continued his freak out.

If they were out somewhere together which was hard to manage since they were both unfortunately famous to some degree it might be different, but they were alone in his bedroom. It was so big it didn't totally feel like a bedroom which was kind of a saving grace but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable, also he was thoroughly unsure of what he would even do if he knew that he should try. Maybe this wasn't a thing that should happen all at once? Which it wouldn't anyway but like- He could invite her back, to keep playing the game. He had the excuse of completing the campaign together so there was that but he was afraid that she would think that he didn't like her as anything other than a superhero idol or a friend if he didn't try and make it sort of clear that this was a two way street, and he wasn't even sure if he should do that because they were _partners_ and he was **Cat Noir** which she **_did not know_** , and he was constantly terrified that if she DID know it would change everything. Which it shouldn't! Because he was the SAME GUY.

Adrien thumped his head against the bathroom counter, trying to bite back a groan.

So what should he do? Nothing? Nothing seemed safest but…

He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before turning sharply and opening the bathroom door, acting on impulse and giving himself no more time to doubt or plan. He should just roll with things right? That was probably the best plan.

Actually that was probably a horrible plan but he was already back at the couch, smiling at her nervously as she prepared to unpause.

"Ready?" she asked, looking up at him and noticing how stiff he was.

"Yup," he said more so to himself then her, sitting down perhaps a little closer than he had been before. He was sitting forward, his back off the couch and elbows on his knees, looking at the screen with a blank expression that confused her but she started the game anyways, cheery music filling the air as she started to check armor stats.

"Do you think I should give my new familiar the old armor set I have or just buy a new one all together? I have the money."

"Old," Adrien said simply, starting to lean back. Ladybug started to follow his suggestion when suddenly she felt a gentle pressure against her shoulders as ever so causally, Adrien slung his arm around her.

Both of them pretended not to notice but were both internally freaking out a little. Ladybug fought off hyperventilation as she blindly fiddled with the wrong menus, and Adrien doubted himself a thousand times in the space of a single second but persisted in the contact since she hadn't moved away.

'Why,' he thought to himself, fingers twitching a little. 'Why am I so impulsive? Okay yeah I _wanted_ to do that but that doesn't mean I should have ACTUALLY DONE IT. She isn't moving, is she freaked out? Did I creep her out?'

This went on for a few more seconds and he was starting to try and find some excuse, when suddenly he caught a gasp in his teeth as she gently leaned into him, laying her weight against his side.

He couldn't help it, he looked down at her, his mouth slightly open as she looked up at him too, both of them quietly wondering what they were doing, but again neither pulled away. They both looked away after a moment, giggling nervously but both smiling, Ladybug starting to flip through the menus a little more coherently.

"That's good," Adrien said vaguely, gesturing to the screen when she looked up at him. "The weapon you picked. The new guy needed a speed boost."

"Yeah," she said back after a second, smiling a little at nothing in particular. There were a few seconds of silence before she shifted her weight again, and for one horrible moment he thought she was going to pull away before suddenly she laid her head on his shoulder.

He couldn't help but smile, his arm curling around her a little on instinct and keeping her close to him. He didn't try anything more and neither did she, but both of them smiled, enjoying the proximity and whatever it was that it meant for them both.

* * *

Ladybug didn't leave until it was almost 4:00 AM, both of them exhausted by dragging out their time together every second they could. They had been in contact with each other in one way or another ever since he had made the first move, and he felt the absence of her heat the second it was gone. The image of her stood at his window, yo-yo in hand and a tired smile on her face stuck with him as he tried to get to sleep that night… or rather morning. He replayed the sound of her voice as she asked if she could come back, taking his number with her when she went. And he held the typed out words "Goodnight Adrien" in his mind from the new number he listed as "B". Exhausted though he was he was smiling too wide to get to sleep easily, laughing to himself as he curled around one of his pillows.

He wondered if she was doing the same thing.

The last thing he texted out wasn't to her though, it was to Nino, answer a few grumbling texts from hours before about Plagg's poor behavior and a few others asking about the date. He just typed, "Thank you man," before crashing, grinning all the while.

When he woke up his phone was still in his hand, vibrating now not with a reply but with a phone call from someone else entirely.

Adrien groaned, blinking at the light and retracting his hand almost reproachfully before he noticed the contact, his heart leaping in his chest.

It said 'B'.

Adrien sat up too quickly, his head swimming as he scrambled to answer it. He glanced at the time, confused when it said it was only something like 7:15, but managing an enthusiastic greeting anyways.

"Hey Lady," he said with a sleepy grin, rubbing at his eyes and smiling to himself.

But the smile instantly dropped when he heard her speak.

" _Adrien,"_ she said, sounding exhausted as well but something else too. Tense.

Afraid.

" _It's Nino"_ she said with no wasted words, Adrien growing incredibly still. " _It's all over the news. I'm so sorry i-it's my fault it's all my fault. The akuma, yesterday. I was too familiar with him someone must have seen, I was_ _ **stupid**_ _. I'm so sorry."_

Adrien was already moving, stumbling from his bed and scrambling for the remote left on the couch, flipping on the TV even as she spoke.

" _I'll get him back Adrien. I've been calling Cat Noir non-stop but as soon as he replies we'll go after him, I'll go after him alone if I have to. I'm so_ _ **sorry**_ _."_

Adrien stood there, in an unbuttoned white shirt and boxers with a phone in one hand and a TV remote clattering to the ground from the other. And in horror he read the words sprawling along the bottom of a news report showing early morning broadcasters stationed outside of Nino's humble apartment building, one window smashed out.

'Young boy snatched from home early this morning. Threatening ransom note left in his place. The price: The miraculous of Ladybug and Cat Noir.'


	14. Chapter 14

Nino held as still as possible, goosebumps rising on his skin as he fought back the urge to shake off the gently glowing white butterflies that settled on him. Their bodies were so light that he was hardly aware of them until they flapped their wings, steading themselves as they clung to him. They did not swarm him or overwhelm him, but they did seem drawn to him… the only light flooding in from a single large window and shining off of the wings of his company in an eerie and unsettling way.

Nino struggled to sit up, ignoring the burning pain in his wrists as he strained against the coarse restraints binding his arms. It felt like rope, irritating the skin and tied too tightly. He took a deep breath, flinching every time he saw a butterfly shift and flutter near him, doing everything he could to be quiet.

This was Hawkmoth's… this space. It was empty and… unsettling, filled only with the gentle persistent sound of butterfly wings. The quieter he was the more they settled, sitting obediently on the ground as they waited for their master.

His head ached and he swallowed back fear, hating how he couldn't stop himself from shaking but biting his tongue forcefully to maintain silence.

This was bad…

It had happened so suddenly, the window exploding out and throwing him against the wall like a bomb had been set off. He remembered Plagg flying towards him, panicked and concerned but Nino had been too disoriented to say anything, acting on instinct and hiding Plagg behind him when something started to crawl in the window. It was massive and hulking, an akuma from the looks of it. Its eyes were vacant and obedient, the thing so massive that Nino was shaking in terror, but even still he hid Plagg from view. He vividly remembered the chill of horror he felt when Plagg slithered beneath his shirt, clinging to his back and hiding there even as Nino was picked up by the monster. Silently he had been shouting at Plagg to hide, to stay behind, if both of them were captured things would only be worse but now as he sat in the darkness of that room he understood why Plagg had done it.

He could feel him shaking too.

"Plagg…" Nino dared, his voice so painfully loud but he was sure that for the moment they were alone. "You can't stay here."

"I can't leave you," his small voice replied, Nino wriggling in discomfort as Plagg darted up his shirt to cling to his neck, glaring at the butterflies. His voice was surprisingly heavy, tense for such a jovial trickster. "I can't leave you alone here."

"You have to get back to him," Nino said, no name needed. Nino knew that Adrien was all Plagg had thought about since they had been taken. "You should have stayed in the first place."

"I couldn't just leave you!" Plagg shot back, sounding conflicted. "This is my fault… I should have stayed with him. Then he could come and save you. I can't do anything without the ring… Nino-"

"Don't say sorry," Nino cut him off, his eyes fixed on the huge window nearby. "Run Plagg, I'm serious."

"I _can't_!" Plagg protested, Nino flinching at how hurt he sounded. It didn't fit him… in the short time they had spent together Nino knew it didn't fit him.

"You have to buddy," Nino whispered, starting to scoot towards the window and watching the butterflies fearfully. "You have to. You can't stay here, he needs you. You need to go to him."

"What about you?" Plagg asked instantly, and Nino faltered. He didn't have a real answer.

"I won't tell him anything," Nino said quietly, deflecting slightly as he fought to move closer to Plagg's best escape route. "I swear, I won't tell a soul. So don't worry about that okay? Just get out of here, get to safety and find Cat Noir okay?"

"I-" Plagg started, and Nino could feel his tail thrashing around against his neck. "I don't know where he is… I can't find the house on my own. I don't even know if he's there."

"You've got to try little man," Nino answered, his voice trembling slightly as he considered his next words. The swarm of butterflies was terrifying, so gentle and unassuming but the vessels of so much horrible power. Hawkmoth would be there soon… and Plagg couldn't be there when he arrived.

"Plagg," Nino spoke again, pressing his back to the wall directly beneath the window and staring sightlessly out into the great light it cast on the ground. "You got to listen to what I'm gonna say man."

"What?" Plagg asked, and Nino could feel his tiny hands gripping his shirt uncertainly.

Nino swallowed, closing his eyes for a second and trying to be brave.

"You've got to find him," Nino said again, voice shaking a little, "him and Ladybug. And when you do you've got to tell 'em… tell 'em not to come for me okay? Tell them to stay away."

"What!?' Plagg shouted in disbelief, and Nino stared in fear as the butterflies shifted in agitation.

"Tell them to leave me!" Nino said back, desperation clear in his voice. He had a feeling they were running short on time. "I'm serious it's too risky there is way too much to lose! No matter what he does I won't tell him okay? Their secrets are safe but I can't protect them if they try and confront him. I won't let him use me like a bargaining piece, so find them and tell them to stay away!"

"No!" Plagg hissed, and Nino felt him lift off his back. He twisted around to watch Plagg dart for the window, looking down at him at the last second to say, "We're going to come and find you! We won't just leave you behind I don't care what you say! So hold on!"

"Plagg!" Nino called out, but the small cat charged the window and phased through it.

And suddenly he was alone again.

"Damn it," he said to himself, hitting the back of his head against the wall. "Damn it! Just stay away guys…" he spoke into the air, curling his legs close to his chest defensively." Stay away…"

* * *

Adrien stood in the wreckage of Nino's room silently, hands clenched into fists and shaking with rage. He cringed at the sound of broken glass shifting underfoot as he stepped forward, fighting against the panic he felt in his chest.

Nino had been taken… and Plagg was nowhere to be found. He was _powerless_ , there was **nothing** he could do. Nino was in trouble because of him and there was **nothing he could do**.

"Adrien," he suddenly heard behind him, the voice soft and shaken but he knew who it was. He had known she was there, she was the only reason he had been let in by the police in the first place but they hadn't actually seen each other yet.

Adrien turned slowly, his emotions so complicated and confused that he really wasn't sure what expression Ladybug saw on his face in that moment, but hers was clear.

The guilt was destroying her, he could see it. Her hands her wrapped around her yo-yo and shaking, her face set as she did her best to be strong. She was enraged, and terrified.

"I'm so sorry," she said again, her voice breaking a little on the last word and he just shook his head, surprising her.

"It's not your fault," he said robotically, fighting to keep his own guilt from killing him as well. They'd be no use to anyone if they couldn't keep it together. "Don't blame yourself. We've just got to plan on how to get him back, and how to keep Hawkmoth from hurting anyone else."

She blinked, staring at him for a moment too long and he remembered suddenly that not every secret as out in the open but he barely cared. He was too distracted, he didn't give a damn if things slipped. If she rejected him he deserved it.

"I won't let him hurt Nino," she said defiantly, the power in her voice surprising him. Her eyes were fierce even as he could see tears threatening to overwhelm them. "I'm not going to let my stupid mistake cause him harm. I'll get him back, I swear… but I can't-" she hesitated, looking at her yo-yo again and he could see anger and doubt in her expression. "I can't do it alone, but I might have to."

Adrien just stood there, unable to move as the most horrible and unnameable feeling settled in his heart. He watched her flip open the screen of her compact, glaring at it with such potent hurt that he could barely breathe.

"He isn't answering," she explained though she didn't need to. He knew who she had been trying to call. "I can't get through to him it's not even ringing… I need him now more than ever and I don't know where he _is."_

Adrien didn't speak, so much about what he saw before him unspeakably horrible.

There was Ladybug, the girl he loved so deeply it was like an unexplainable pain all its own stood in the doorway of his best friend's trashed bedroom. Broken glass was scattered all around them, his computer in shambles and desk smashed to pieces. The thing that hurt the most was the pair of headphone she had seen his friend wear every single day, thrown out towards the doorway with the cord chewed through. And in that room his partner cried out for him and got no reply, feeling betrayed and let down, afraid and alone as she struggled to be the hero everyone needed her to be.

She felt utterly alone and he was standing right there, and in that moment he swore that she hated him. And he hated him too.

"Ladybug-" he managed, the word surprisingly broken and stunning her. When she looked up she froze, watching in confusion as Adrien cried.

"I'll get him back Adrien," she tried to comfort quickly, stepping forward and putting a hand on his shoulder, pulling him into her so she could hug him. "I'll save him even if I have to go alone… I promise."

"You shouldn't have to go alone…" he replied, curling around her and holding her. He could feel her shoulders tense but he didn't know how to respond. "I should go with you."

"A-Adrien no!" she said, trying to pull back to look at his face but he was staring at the ground, looking at the broken glass crushed beneath his feet. "It's way too dangerous Hawkmoth-"

"Hawkmoth is the biggest threat there is!" he suddenly shouted, making her jump as tears streamed down his face. "You can't go into that alone I don't care if I have powers or not!"

She stared at him in bewilderment, her own tears threatening to fall as she watched such potent emotion overtake him.

"I-" she tried to speak, putting a hand on his chest and looking up at him, trying to provide some kind of comfort. "I'm sure Cat Noir will come, he's always been there this time won't be any different."

And he couldn't stop himself, looking at her deep blue eyes and seeing so much doubt and pain, knowing that for even a second she had doubted him hurting so horribly. He couldn't stop the words before they fell out, keeping them in any longer choking him and making him feel like he was going to suffocate.

"Don't you think I would have answered if I could!?"

His words hung in the air and he could see them as they seeped into her, her eyes widening and her breath catching in a gasp that never quite formed. He could see his words in the scattering of debris as she quickly stepped back, her hand leaving his chest like it had been burned, and he could feel them in the horrible fear that paralyzed him.

But he felt them the most when he heard the tone of her voice, her words shaking.

"W-what did you say?"

Adrien stood there, feeling like for a moment that he was losing everything. He was surrounded by the consequence of his recklessness and faced with the fallout of all his lies, and nothing had ever been more terrifying.

Ladybug looked at him, _really_ looked at him and couldn't speak, her silence cutting into him as he despised every mistake he had made on this stupid winding road. But he couldn't be silent, not even as his heart hammered in his chest and he swallowed against the tightness of his throat.

"Don't you think… that if I could have I would have ran to you the second you needed me?"

Her lips trembled, complete shock dominating her expression but mixed with a hundred other things. Doubt, fear, anxiety, uncertainty, disbelief.

"Cat…" she whispered, and finally he watched a single large tear overflow and wind its way over her mask and down her face. He could see the recognition shine in her eyes, and he marveled at how he still had the nerve to pray.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, reaching up and covering his eyes with one hand to try and stem the tears, feeling comfort in hiding behind _something_. "I'm sorry… I didn't know how to tell you. But this… is my… Nino knew," he explained, unable to look at her. "I told him… Not that long ago. I had seen you two together and I- I just… I put him at risk too, you hadn't meant to put him at risk but I did it willingly I revealed myself to him knowing the risk it was _selfish_." He lifted the hand to gesture at the room, his hand shaking as he did as anger was clear in his voice. "And now this happened. And somehow I'm still selfish enough to tell you too because I couldn't listen to- I couldn't just… stand here when I _know_ you needed me and I'm **_sorry_**."

"A-Adrien," he heard her say but he didn't stop, too much confused, painful emotion in too short a time.

"I can't even transform I don't have my kwami I can't help him, there isn't _anything_ -"

He jolted when he felt her against him, her arms wrapping around his chest and holding him. He just stood there, stunned as she spoke into his chest.

"We can't do this right now," she explained, her voice still shaking but surprisingly… frim. Locking it down. "We can't… we have to find Nino we can deal with this later but…" she faltered, not looking up at him even as he stared down at the top of her head. "I have no idea what to say, but it doesn't matter right now. We can't get distracted, we have to save our friend."

Adrien didn't move right away, feeling the heat of her against him and choking back any more outbursts as he gently wrapped his arms around her. Neither of them pulled away, just like before but infinitely different.

She was right.

"Can't get distracted…" he echoed, holding her a little tighter like he was pulling _himself_ back together. "Okay… okay. We have to save Nino, but please my lady… please know I'm here. I didn't abandon you… I never would."

He could hear the murmur of police just outside in the rest of the apartment and littering the street down below, oblivious to everything that was happening in the privacy of their loyal friend's bedroom. No one knew except for them… even more secrets in such a complicated web. But it was the first secret they shared together.

"I know Cat…" she said back after a few seconds, the words making his heart falter in its rhythm. He could feel her hold him a little tighter. "I know…"

Ladybug took a step back, staring up at him so he could see her bury every emotion beneath the task at hand. "We can talk about this later… for now we focus on finding Nino before midday. I'm going to need my partner on this… even if you don't have the ears."

He was amazed by how she could just… cope, for the greater good. She was so impossibly strong, selfless in the ways he needed to be too. In the ways he knew he _could_ be. He could be strong too, and he would. For Nino.

He even smirked a little though his eyes were still heavy. "Should have known you'd prefer the cat ears, most people do."

She snorted a little, actually managing to roll her eyes though the gesture held a weight as well. "I like both just fine, at least you won't scratch anything up this way."

"That was one time!" he joked, and they both laughed a little, looking at each other before looking away. It was awkward, and hard and complicated and disorienting but… they would cope. For Nino. They had to.

He'd do it for them.

* * *

The air was heavy all over Paris, so many cloaked in its suffocating nature. Two partners did their best to be strong for someone who had always been strong for them. The boy they sought to protect was restrained alone in the darkness of a nightmare, only the skittering of butterflies on his skin to distract from the steps slowly drawing nearer. A small cat like creature clung to the shadows as he desperately sought landmarks, anything to tell him where his boy could be in such a large city. And civilians watched their TV's in silence as the police made a futile attempt to secure a perimeter around the Notre Dame. One viewer in particular felt a great heaviness in his heart, looking carefully at the face of a young boy in a bright red cap as he appeared yet again on the screen, a tense reporter repeating what few details there were on the story.

The old man sighed heavily, feeling a weariness he had grown accustomed to in his old age wash over him. His ancient eyes drifted down to a simple jade band that rested on his wrist, feeling its weight more potently then he had in many, many years.

"Master," a voice spoke beside him, his attention drawn to a small floating creature that also watched the screen with heavy eyes. "Isn't that him? The one you had talked about?"

Master Fu was quiet at first, setting down his cup of tea on the floor he sat on before humming his confirmation. "Yes," he replied, watching the kwami carefully. "That is him."

"I remember him," the turtle like creature responded, his voice distant as he still watched the screen. "From the bakery. You called him admirable."

Master Fu nodded, looking down at the steam rising from his cup as silence fell between them, the only noise coming from the broadcast.

" _This kidnapping was undoubtably the work of Hawkmoth, the villain who jeopardizes the safety of our city with his monstrosities. He has never gone so far before, many are speculating as to what has caused the change and what made this poor boy the target._ "

"Is his standing with the heroes not public knowledge?" the kwami asked, looking up at the aged man beside him.

"I do not believe so…" Master Fu answered, folding his hands in his lap. "He's been careful. I don't believe this event is through any fault of his own."

"Was it Ladybug and Cat Noir's mistake then?"

"It does not matter," Fu replied, closing his eyes, "all that matters now is how they correct it… but I have my fears."

The kwami watched his master diligently, looking on as the old man spoke.

"Wayzz…" Fu addressed him, the turtle kwami whizzing to fly in front of his face as Fu's eyes opened. "This is no game for old men dear friend… you know that don't you?"

Wayzz didn't reply at first, meeting his master's ancient eyes before looking away, saying quietly, "Yes master…"

From the corner of his eye Wayzz saw his master smile somewhat. "I understand your reluctance, but it is time. Even if this is resolved and the boy is returned he is a target of our enemy now. Ladybug and Cat Noir can not defend him forever, he must be capable of protecting himself. He would be good for you I believe… you would be great friends."

"I don't doubt it master…" the kwami replied quietly, his gaze drifting to his miraculous that the old man currently wielded. "You have hardly chosen poorly, and he has already proven capable of holding great secrets." Wayzz managed a small smile of his own as he met his master's eyes again. "I suppose I am just slow to adjust."

"Slow and steady wins the race, isn't that the saying?" Fu chuckled, and Wayzz's smile grew before settling again in solemnity. Fu watched his old friend carefully before nodding again, slowly starting to stand. "It is time," he repeated, breathing deeply, "A new guardian will be trained. We still have some time between us Wayzz," he said with a smile, his ancient eyes shining, "he will need to visit here frequently so he might learn. But as for now… well. We have time for one last run."

Wayzz hovered nearby, uncertain as he looked again at the miraculous. "Isn't that dangerous master?"

"I can manage once more dear friend," he assured him, smilingly warmly. "My strength has long faded but for now our heroes need our help. The young guardian must live, we have no other choice."

Wayzz looked on as Fu prepared himself, stretching a little with an excited smile on his face that admittedly made Wayzz smile too.

"Yes master," he said again, "one last run."

With that last sentiment traded between them the two shared a nod, smiling at each other as Fu took a deep breath and held out his wrist before confidently declaring, "Wayzz! Transform me!"


	15. Chapter 15

Adrien felt hollow, doing his best to pull himself together but he had no idea what to do. He didn't have Plagg… he had no idea where he was or how he could possibly find him. Even if the plan was just to give up and hand over the miraculous they couldn't, not without Plagg. It was just a ring without him, so now even their bargaining chips were useless.

"Adrien," he heard a soft voice speak, and he turned to face the doorway of Nino's room, Ladybug entering with something in her hand.

"Is that it?" Adrien asked, walking towards her and ignoring the questioning police staring on from the other room. He didn't care how it looked.

"The ransom," Ladybug answered, "yeah. You should take a look at it, we don't have a lot of time."

Adrien reached out and took the thick stationary in hand, surprised by the expensive weight of it but then again it wasn't unreasonable to assume Hawkmoth had a flair for the dramatic. It was hardly befitting of a supervillain to make out ransoms on receipt paper.

Adrien's useless train of thought halted as he looked over the sharp clear typed out letters.

 **[He will be returned, as long as the price is paid. Ladybug and Cat Noir must hand over their Miraculous, mid-day inside the Notre Dame. Any heroics and it is the boy who will suffer the consequence.]**

"Mid-day?" Adrien said aloud, unable to keep the shock from his voice as he looked up to meet Ladybug's statue like gaze. "Noon? You can't be serious we only have _three hours_?"

Adrien looked down at Nino's bedroom clock, fallen from its side table and strewn across the floor but still confidently displaying 8:53 AM on its face.

"Looks that way," Ladybug said in a quiet voice, the tone so distant and robotic that he fought off a shiver as he looked up again at her now stoic expression. "Three hours to think of something… Police set up a perimeter around the Notre Dame as soon as the note was discovered, they've searched everything as far as I know. Nino's not there, Hawkmoth is holding him somewhere else and is most likely going to either move him to the meetup or hold him somewhere else while he collects the Miraculous. So an early rescue isn't an option unless we can figure out where Hawkmoth has him."

Ladybug paused, looking over her shoulder at the police men who quickly looked away but she bit her lip regardless. She stepped closer and spoke softly then.

"We don't have any clues we don't even know where to start, but if we run out of time I don't have a choice. I've got to go to the meet up and try and bargain for Nino with what I have."

"What does that mean?" he shot back immediately, struggling to lower his voice when he spoke again. "Why are you saying that like you're going alone?"

Her blank expression wavered slightly and he could see fear in her eyes before she masked it again. "You don't have your kwami, you can't transform there isn't an option here. Hawkmoth is our biggest enemy you can't go into a fight like this without your powers."

"And you can't go in alone!"

"Adrien," she cut him off, the name shaking as she said it. "You can't just reveal yourself to him, if you do even if we get away with Nino he would just come after you, he would destroy you entire life. If you don't have your kwami I have to go alone."

"NO," he nearly shouted again and she closed her eyes as he did his best to conceal his words. "You're just going to run in there and give up your Miraculous? Because that's the only play you have! If you go in without backup he'll hold Nino over you and force you to hand over your earrings! There has to be a way to get Nino to safety and where we don't lose to that _monster_."

Ladybug was quiet, momentarily dropping her head into her hands before she straightened up again, trying to plan.

"The best we can hope for is that your kwami escaped and is looking for you. You can't run around the city with me it will raise too many questions, for now you need to go home, see if he somehow managed to make it back there on his own. Check any place he might go, your priority is finding your kwami. In the meantime I'll travel the city, try and find some kind of clue as to where Nino is being held."

Adrien held her gaze for a moment before taking a deep breath, nodding once. "Okay… we've got three hours to find an advantage. Stay in contact with me okay?"

"I will," she answered, taking a step away and heading towards the open space in the wall where Nino had been taken. Ladybug looked outside, her attention directed momentarily towards the sky. "Be careful," she said in a subdued voice, the stress of the situation starting to wear on her, "it looks like rain."

She only took one more second to gather herself before she bounded away, her yo-yo vaulting her across the street and over the buildings in a blink of an eye. Adrien followed after her as much he could, stepping to the hole in the wall himself and looking up, seeing the encroaching storm clouds Ladybug must have seen in the distance, past the looming visage of the Eiffel tower.

"I hope that's not an omen…" he said to himself, dreading his bad luck as he headed back through the apartment, handing over the ransom and leaving as quickly as he could. Adrien took to the streets, barreling past every reporter looking for insight and just ran for home, desperately hoping that Plagg would be waiting for him when he got there.

'Hold on Nino," he thought to himself, fighting off another onslaught of complicated fused emotions as he ran. 'We're coming, I swear.'

* * *

Plagg flew through the shadows of an alleyway, whining in frustration as he looked out on another tiny street he didn't recognize. He never looked around while he was with Adrien he just rode in his pocket, he could be a block away from the mansion and have no idea. He groaned, rubbing at his eyes as if to purge them for the thousands of identical looking streets and corners and all the useless signs that meant nothing to him since he had no clue as to how the streets related. Store fronts he didn't know, people he had never seen before, hundreds of cars and pedestrians clogging any scent he might have used. He knew some roads, some places but _nothing_ looked right. And the entire time he couldn't get the image of Nino out of his mind, tied up and terrified as he tried to tell him to leave him behind.

"Have to find my boy…" he said to himself, darting up and over the rooftops as fast as he could, clinging to any ledge that might conceal him but also being reckless. As far as he was concerned yes his existence was secret and the branching consequences for being spotted would be massive, but… a small talking cat just might make the news, and he'd find Adrien that much faster.

"Last option," he decided, flying as fast as he could but forced to drop lower then he would have liked to avoid being seen. He didn't have the energy to fly so high that he'd be just a black dot, his hunger gnawing at him. The one thing that held hope for him was the distant image of the Eiffel tower. He knew that, but if he couldn't make a bee line then all the turns and side streets were just confusing him and slowing him down. Adrien lived near the tower, he knew that. He just had to hope that if he could at least get close Adrien would find him first.

* * *

 _Step_

 _Step click_

 _Step_

 _Step click_

Nino sat up straight, eyes zeroing in on the black nothingness that seemed to hold the sound, distant… but growing nearer.

He had been alone in the strange room for so long now, lost in the darkness and crouching in what light the window provided like it could provide warmth and he was cold. It was light where there wasn't any, it felt safer somehow. However as Nino waited in agony and the sound of footsteps approached the light did nothing to comfort him.

 _Step_

 _Step click_

 _Step_

 _Step click_

Nino hated that he trembled, it made him angry. He had always liked to believe that if something like this happened he would be strong, full of snarky one liners and a spit to the face. However now as a door he couldn't see was cast open he didn't feel any of that. He felt helpless and trapped. He supposed that was the point.

The footsteps halted, the figured they belonged to just out of sight. The butterflies drifted towards him, twisting in and out of the shadows while their master remained concealed.

Nino flinched when the man laughed, his voice low and… cruel.

Nino knew who it was.

"Hello young man," the deep voice addressed him, sounding almost amused. "It is an honor to have you with me today."

Nino bit his tongue, shifting on the floor but staying in the circle of light the window provided. He didn't want to hide in the shadows like he did.

"Will you not even speak?" the voice questioned him, a cane and the man's outline visible as he strode forward somewhat. "There is no cause to be rude. We can help each other after all."

"I don't want anything from you," Nino blurted out, the sentence rushed and harsh. His heart rate sped up as he straightened his back, something in the back of his mind screaming at him to be quiet as he said, "And I'm not helping you with crap."

The man hesitated at the edge of the light, the clicking of the cane as he tapped it absent mindedly on the floor filling the space for a time, before Nino could hear a slow chuckle start to build.

"You're brave," he remarked, slowly stepping forward so he could watch Nino cringe at the sight of him, "or at the very least, you like to pretend you are."

Nino looked up at Hawkmoth as he loomed over him, a smile on his masked face as he looked down on him. Nino felt so small in that moment, his throat instantly feeling dry and his breath harder to catch.

Hawkmoth took another step forward, Nino trying to scoot away but froze in fear when the man lifted his cane, aiming it forward so that the end was poised right in the center of his chest.

"Now now Nino," he said with another slow grin, "Don't crawl. I have no intentions of hurting you if I get what I want."

"And when you don't?" Nino said thoughtlessly, screaming at himself internally, wondering how the hell he even had the nerve to speak.

"You seem so sure they won't come for you," Hawkmoth said curiously, digging the cane a little into Nino so that he was forced to lean back slightly, closer to cowering on the ground. "That is rather strange… they are your friends after all, of course they'll come."

"What makes you think I know them at all?" Nino asked, his voice wavering slightly. Nino was unable to hide the small gasp of fear and shock that escaped him when Hawkmoth suddenly tilted the end of the cane so that it dug underneath his chin, lifting his head.

"Don't. Play. Dumb," Hawkmoth said slowly, each word punctuated and showing for the first time how easily anger could surface. When he spoke again his tone was calmer, aloof as it had been before. "You matter to them. How someone as insignificant as you could ever gain their favor is beyond me, but the details of your relationship with them is, for now, meaningless. All that matters is I have you, and if they want you back they have to comply."

Nino didn't say anything at first, pulling his chin away from the cane and looking away, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity even when he was a captive.

Hawkmoth chuckled to himself, finding entertainment in all this somehow, but as he turned to saunter away Nino couldn't help but speak.

"You seriously think you're gonna win?"

Hawkmoth stopped, and when Nino looked up the man was very still. So Nino spoke again, swallowing down his fear.

"You really think you've got anything on them? You hide behind your villains, the only reason you've got me is because you could never take them down any other way. But guess what? Not even something as low as this is gonna beat them. They are going to show up and they will take you-"

Nino's speech faltered in a scream as Hawkmoth suddenly whirled around, eyes enraged and cane lifted high. Nino cringed and tensed up, shaking in fear as he felt the chain very gently tap against the side of his neck.

"Do not disrespect me young man," he said quietly, anger brewing behind the words but Nino was too shaken to look up. What he would have seen on his face he could only guess.

Nino didn't look up again, barely breathing as the cane was pulled away and he heard again the sound of footsteps and the occasional clicking of the cane.

"Do not underestimate what you do not understand," he was saying as he walked away, his voice cast back into the room behind him. "I am a very motivated man. What I am capable of you can not even imagine."

Nino waited as he heard the door open again, and he was sure he would be alone again in that room but he swallowed once, finding the nerve to speak once more.

"What are you going to do with me?"

There was a pause, Nino still too afraid to lift his gaze. Then,

"Move you, when the time comes. For now, you will wait. And when the exchange takes place I will come for you again."

And the door swung shut, leaving Nino with his single circle of light and the fluttering of a hundred butterfly wings.

* * *

Many people looked up to see Ladybug flying overhead as the kidnapping dragged on, no updates or new information available to the public. However the main reason for that was that there was no new information to share.

Ladybug stopped on the roof of a random storefront, drawing her yo-yo back in so she could look at the time once again.

"10:15… you've got to be kidding me," she groaned to herself, one hand rubbing at her eyes as if to ward off her stress induced weariness. One hour and forty-five minutes remaining… and she had nothing.

' _Marinette'_ Tikki spoke to her quietly from her earrings, ' _you've got to stay calm, we're going to find him.'_

"How!?" she exclaimed suddenly, her outburst betraying just how frazzled she really was. "We don't know where to look this is exactly what Hawkmoth wants, we don't have a choice but to meet him on his terms, and with Cat out like this…"

She stopped, her voice trailing off as she looked at an unread message from Adrien. From Cat…

'Not yet,' she reminded herself, dragging in a shallow breath as she read something else she had been dreading.

'A- No luck at the school, gym, or studio either. I don't know where else he would know to go to, I'm going to try landmarks next.'

"Great…" Ladybug whispered to herself. "I- I have to keep looking but, I've got nothing to go on Tikki. I can't do this by myself…"

"Then perhaps I can lend a hand."

Ladybug jolted, whipping around with her yo-yo poised to throw as she realized she wasn't alone on that rooftop like she had assumed, her entire body tensed and ready to respond.

What she saw when she turned however caught her off guard, the figure so entirely unexpected that she didn't know how to react.

"I am not your enemy," the stranger spoke, holding up his hands. "Don't let an old man frighten you."

He was old, that was clear, but something about him still looked powerful. He had calm, knowing eyes, but it was his outfit that drew the most attention. The old man had a dark green hood pulled up over aged white hair, a dark green mask concealing most of his face. She could see even from the distance the almost unnoticeable shell like pattern across it as well, the hood spilling down with loose fabric over his shoulder. The hood tied into something almost like a cloak or robe, not going down his arms like sleeves but rather left uncovered to shove layered armor like protection over his skin, his hands sporting almost black fingerless gloves. The outfit as a whole was various shades of dark green and muddled, swampy brown in some places, his boots the darkest thing to him. What stood out was the large, shell like shield resting on his back, and the smile on his face.

Ladybug took a step back, thrown off by his sudden appearance but not ready to back off just because he claimed he meant no harm.

"Who are you?" she demanded, still prepared to defend herself when suddenly it was Tikki that confronted her.

' _Wait don't! I know who that is he isn't an enemy I promise!'_

"What?" Ladybug questioned aloud, looking at the old man again more curiously now.

"Was that Tikki sticking up for a friend?" he asked, shocking her as he chuckled to himself. "I appreciate it dear."

"You can hear her?" Ladybug questioned in disbelief, eyes widening as he laughed again.

"No, but I know her well, it's easy to guess. I promise you Ladybug, I am an ally. I've come to help."

Ladybug stared at him in confusion, reluctantly doing away with her defensive position only when Tikki assured her again that he was alright.

"Who are you?" Ladybug asked again, watching closely as he reached up to stroke at his white and gray mustache.

"I suppose," he said slowly, a grin on his features, "I am Jade Turtle. Have been for a long time, though not for much longer. I'm a hero like yourself, and it's come to my attention that something rather serious has come up."

"Y-you're a miraculous wielder?!" Ladybug blurted out, mouth dropping open and Tikki giggling at her.

Jade Turtle nodded, gesturing to something green and, unsurprisingly, made of jade on his wrist.

"I am, though an old one," he joked, taking a few steps closer to her now that the situation was diffused somewhat. "You and Cat Noir are something to be marveled at, you are everything heroes are meant to be. I have not transformed in many, many years, but I feared that in such a dire time you might appreciate any aide I could give you."

"I-" Ladybug stammered, heart hammering as she tried to take it in. "Yes! This is good, this is really good. Maybe with your help…" she trailed off, fear settling into her chest again.

'Everything heroes are meant to be…' she thought to herself, 'what hero would allow this to happen?'

She looked at the old man, still somewhat apprehensive, but still… it was sudden but Tikki was vouching for him… and she really did need a win right then. She couldn't afford to turn down his help.

"Cat Noir is not with you," Jade commented, looking more serious as he said it.

"Yeah," she answered him slowly, "He… his kwami is missing. He can't transform and I haven't found anything to go off of. At this rate I'll be forced to face him on my own."

"No," he cut in, his voice firm. "You won't be alone, and you never will be. The Ladybug and Cat Noir miraculous are not parted so easily, don't doubt your partner. Plus," he said with a slightly mirthful change in tone, "I'm here too young lady."

Ladybug was still, staring at him for a second before laughing a little breathlessly. "Right…" she replied eventually, "I know that." She was quiet a moment more before she took a deep breath and shook her head to clear her mind. "Right. Hawkmoth isn't expecting you, we have an advantage now."

Ladybug nodded, calming herself and just trying to take the blessing as it came, thanking her good luck.

"I need to tell Cat."

Ladybug made the call, watching the old man stare out over the city as she did, her breath still catching a little when Adrien answered.

" _Whats up? Any luck?"_

"No," she answered, her stomach dropping a little when she heard him huff a little in agitation. "But I've got good news. Another Miraculous wielder showed up, he heard something big was happening and ran over to help out, his name is Jade Turtle."

" _W- wait what are you serious!?"_

"Yeah," she laughed, still a little in disbelief, "My kwami says we can trust him so I'm going with what she says right now. So, since we have an extra hero even if your kwami doesn't show we still have a secret advantage. Hawkmoth doesn't know he's here."

" _That's good,"_ he replied a little breathlessly, sounding like he was running, " _That's good news, we needed some good news. I still haven't found Plagg but… I'm gonna keep trying. It's all I can do. How are you holding up?"_

"Fine," she said simply, her tone heavy, "Better now that we have Jade's help. Me and him will keep combing Paris for Nino or Plagg, but if we run out of time at least we have a backup plan."

" _Alright… alright. Keep looking LN, it's going to be okay. Stay safe alright? That storm isn't far off now."_

"You too," she answered back, silence dominating the line for a moment as if they were both waiting for the other to say… something. But neither did, so Ladybug ended the call.

Ladybug straightened her back, looking up at the sky to see the storm clouds now almost directly overhead, thick and heavy with rain. They rolled in like a wave, casting darkness over most of the city.

"Ms. Luck," an old voice cut in, dragging her attention away from the ominous storm and to her newfound ally. "WE should go."

"Right…" she answered him, nodding once more. "We should split up, cover more ground but do you have something we can communicate with?"

"Yes, Tikki knows the number," he chuckled, tapping his miraculous once and shocking her when something light, green and like a hologram floated above it. "I'll call you if I find anything, and if not, I'll be at the Notre Dame."

"Okay," she agreed, backing up towards the edge of the building, looking once at the time. 10:28. An hour and a half left.

'Hold on DJ,' she thought to herself, sprinting towards the edge and leaping off, plummeting towards the ground for only a few seconds before throwing her yo-yo, rocketing off into the city.

'Hold fast young guardian…' Fu thought to himself as he pulled his shield from his back, throwing it to the ground and climbing onto it. He leaned forward, skittering down the roof tiles and jumping between buildings as he went. While transformed he was strong, but he knew he could not stay that way for long.

Plagg wandered the city much like his boy did, sometimes coming within a block of each other without ever knowing. Ladybug sped along with a heavy heart, Master Fu solemnly noting the passing time with grim understanding. Not much time remained… and he had a very bad feeling that Hawkmoth had some other play.

* * *

10:45, Adrien doubled back to the house, fruitlessly checking his room for what felt like the hundredth time.

11:00, Ladybug stopped at the Eiffel tower, trying to catch her breath.

11:15, Adrien stopped in an alleyway, his head dropping into his hands, trying to get a grip as he texted Ladybug about yet another failed search. The storm finally started, rain falling over the city and growing worse with every passing second. Adrien forged on.

11:30, Fu ignores the murmurs of the people looking up at him fearfully, hoping he wasn't a monster. His gaze was solemnly fixed in the distant image of the Notre Dame, dreading what was waiting there.

11:35 AM. 25 minutes until mid-day.

 _Step_

 _Step click_

 _Step_

 _Step click_

* * *

A huge hulking monster of a creature was crouched quietly in the dark, it's breathing heavy and animal like as it waited. It was dormant, patient, and obedient. It had been promised something, its task simple. It wasn't required to collect anything, it was only required to wait. Wait to destroy like it wanted to, wait to unleash its frustrations and aggression. Just a few hours, that's all Hawkmoth had asked. Wait a few hours, until close to mid-day, then it was asked to destroy anything it could touch. 'Give the police something to do,' had been his instruction, the words punctuated by dark laughter. 'Wear our heroes thin, it is all I ask. Destroy, like you want to. You have been mistreated, you are angry and I understand. Destroy everything you can, just wait a few short hours.'

In the darkness of that abandoned building the Akuma straightened, a ghostly purple outline of a butterfly lighting the face of a monster.

" **Silverback,"** Hawkmoth spoke into its, **"You've always been called the Gorilla, like an animal expected to be watched and disrespected. Show them now, if a Gorilla is what you were called then by all means, it is what they deserve. It is time, you may go."**

* * *

Adrien and Plagg, though five blocks apart now, looked up at the same time much like most others in the city, everyone's attention drawn to where a horrible and wild howl resonated through the buildings. It was loud, animalistic, and violent and it didn't take much imagination to know what it belonged to.

"Akuma…" Adrien and Plagg said at the same time, both of them growing cold even without the chill of the rain.

'If there is an attack,' Plagg thought however, 'Then… Then that's the first place Adrien would go!'

Adrien had had much the same realization, going against the fleeing crowd and running towards the sound of their enemy. Plagg would go to the fight, he would be there he knew it. He had to hurry, he thought as he sprinted through the streets.

11:45

Fifteen minutes until mid-day.

* * *

"That will distract your friends long enough for us to move," Hawkmoth said aloud, addressing his captive who was lying face first on the floor. Nino was breathing heavily, his glasses cracked and Hawkmoth just shook his head when he looked down. "I hope you won't cause any more problems, you trying to run off would not fit my plans."

"Screw you," Nino said weakly, taking some enjoyment from frustrating the bad guy. His escape attempt had ended in a pretty severe cane to the stomach and the fall he had taken had broken his glasses and bruised his face. It was weird, but when it happened it almost looked like Hawkmoth took no pleasure in it, though that hardly redeemed him since he still did it.

"Stand," Hawkmoth ordered, counting or Nino's wounded stomach to remind him to behave. It seemed like it did, because the boy stood without a word.

Nino cringed but didn't pull away as he was blindfolded, stumbling forward when he was prodded making his way blindly though… a corridor. He wasn't sure, he had been unconscious when he had first been brought in, he was surprised he wasn't unconscious now. Nino nearly fell down some steps, Hawkmoth laughing behind him and making him grit his teeth in frustration. He tried to walk slowly, any inconvenience he could manage, but Hawkmoth kept a steady pace. They worked their way down, the air growing colder and dank somehow almost like they were underground. It had felt like they were in a building before, some higher level that they walked down the winding steps from but now it felt like… a tunnel. Nino had no better of a grasp as to where he could be when he was forced onto… something. A cart, a tram or something like that, something that moved. It was when they were driving along that Nino first felt the earth shake, a distant ferocious roar audible even with as far underground they were.

"I wonder," Hawkmoth spoke for the first time since they had departed, Nino turning his head to listen. "With such a distraction will they leave the city to suffer or come to collect you? No matter what they do I can't imagine they will be nearly as troublesome right after such a vicious fight."

"Is this the part where you monologue? Let me know so I can space out," Nino shot back, his fear and pain making him braver somehow. Or maybe it was his anger, a strange combination of fear and rage spiking every time he felt the earth shake.

His friends were up there.

To his surprise he wasn't hit for his outburst, but when the tram finally stopped some time later he was shoved harder than strictly needed out onto a staging platform of some kind, still underground it felt like. Nino was forced up many steps, coming towards the surface but not out into the open air, but a different building, the sound of rolling thunder and distant rain more audible the higher they climbed.

They had arrived.

11:56, four minutes until mid-day.

* * *

"PLAGG!" Adrien was shouting openly as he ran, dodging debris from buildings and windows that shattered every time the akuma roared. He covered his ears, the noise jarring and painful, but he prayed that Plagg could hear him. "PLAGG!"

Adrien looked up just in time to see Ladybug get thrown wide, her body crashing harshly into the side of a building.

"Lady!" he shouted out to her but when she locked eyes with him through the rain she shook her head.

"Keep looking!" she said vaguely, gritting her teeth and standing to face Silverback again.

It was massive, four times the size of the man used to create it and some horrific half breed between animal and human. He was covered in fur, eyes dull and violent, and Ladybug had no idea where the possessed item was.

"I don't have time for this," she groaned, acutely aware of how little time they had. What was Hawkmoth's play? Why was he sending out an akuma right now?

Ladybug yelped in surprise when Silverback lunged, picking up a car like it was a paper weight and hurling it at her, forcing her to swing to higher ground. She was nearly blind as she flew so suddenly through such a fierce downpour but the monster had no problem following her. The Akuma was frustrated, snorting and barreling after her destroying absolutely everything he could, and from the rooftop Ladybug could see the hundreds of people evacuating the buildings around her. Then she saw the police.

'Of course,' she thought to herself, the pieces of Hawkmoth's plan fitting together and making some kind of sense. There were police everywhere there _had_ to be. With such a violent akuma anyone within five blocks of the attack site would be in danger. To control crowd panic and get everyone out safe, every available police officer had been pulled.

Which meant the Notre Dame was left unguarded.

Ladybug turned, catching sight of Jade Turtle as he threw his shield at the monster, cracking it sharply in the side of the face and making it roar again in rage, turning towards him instead.

"This is just a distraction!" Ladybug yelled out to him, looking between Jade Turtle and the direction of the Notre Dame. "Hawkmoth is using this as cover to move Nino! He's at the Notre Dame right now I know it!"

"Only you can cleanse him!" Jade shouted back, his miraculous making him agile enough to keep ahead of the monster, Ladybug running on the buildings on the other side of the street so she could still hear him. "If you leave people will get hurt!"

Ladybug was thinking desperately, at her breaking point when suddenly she heard Jade cry out, raising his shield to defend himself but too slow to dodge. Ladybug watched in slow motion as the full weight of that horrible monster's fist was reeled back to crush Jade Turtle through the roof of the building, when suddenly she saw the flash of metal shining brightly from being soaked in the rain.

Cat Noir's staff collided with every bit of force he could manage behind it, right to the Akuma's jaw. The hit was so hard and so sudden that Silverback was thrown off the building, crashing to the ground and leaving a crater in the street.

"CAT!" Lady called out, beyond relieved to see her partner suited up. Plagg must have been nearby after all.

"Where is the item!?" Cat shouted back through the storm, wasting no time he knew they didn't have.

"I don't know!" she answered, her voice taunt in distress. "We don't have enough time, it's almost noon!"

"You cannot go!" Jade shouted across to her, standing and looking between both heroes. "This is his plan! He is making you choose between the boy and the city, you cannot make that choice. You both must stay, defeat the monster and cleanse the Akuma. I will go to Hawkmoth."

"What!?" Cat Noir turned around, sharing the same rooftop with him so that they only stood a few feet apart. "You can't beat him on your own!"

"And neither of you can defeat this monster without the other, someone must stay," Jade said hurriedly, striding forward towards the edge of the building. "There is no time to deliberate! Hawkmoth cannot be defeated, not on this day there isn't the time. But I know there is time enough to save your friend."

"I-" Cat Noir tried to speak, but all three of the heroes looked down as Silverback roared again, slowly recovering from the blow.

"I will save your friend," Jade Turtle said firmly, so much power and conviction in his words. "No matter what it costs. So fight! Fight as you are meant to!"

And he leapt, his shield crashing to the ground beneath his feet and throwing him down the street, skidding on the water and propelled by his own power without waiting for either of them to decide.

 _'One last run,'_ he heard suddenly, the voice of his old friend the only thing now he could hear beside the sound of the rain and the distant sound of the fight. _'What an adventure this is turning out to be.'_

Despite everything, despite his own fears and the tension that soaked the city as thoroughly as the storm, Fu smiled.

"We never have anything else," he chuckled, steeling himself for what was to come.

12:00 PM.

Mid-day.

* * *

Nino was fighting to keep his fear from overwhelming him, kneeling on the floor with Hawkmoth's cane resting on the back of his neck. It was so… awful, but he was trying to distract himself and steady his breathing.

He lifted his gaze as much as he could without Hawkmoth forcing his head back down, the emptiness of the grand cathedral they waited in making Nino feel incredibly small. It was dark, the windows offering only dim light as the storm grew steadily worse. The roar of the rain was distant, somewhat muted as it drowned the city around them, and for a moment it felt like there was no other place in the world except the Notre Dame.

The longs rows of pews were abandoned, no soul daring to venture near the place where the ransom was set. Nino looked down the great building, seeing the rain fall through each long stained glass window and he was struck for a moment by how… dramatic it was.

The thought made him feel a little better, finding some kind of humor to focus on helping him forget the weight of the cane on his neck.

Couldn't fault Hawkmoth for flair. A massive intimidating cathedral, abandoned of all patrons and sealed away from the world by a raging storm. Nino jolted a little when lighting swelled and filled each window with blinding light for a fraction of a second before the darkness fell again, thunder rolling through his chest just a few seconds later.

There was something Nino hated more in that second then even the man who stood behind him.

He was terrified, and he hated that.

He was shaking, he could feel it and h bite back a yelp any time Hawkmoth dug into him a little to entertain himself. His chest and stone ached from the blow he had taken, and every thought he had was filled with fear for his friends.

He couldn't help but wonder if this was his fault.

Nino flinched when he heard Hawkmoth hum, speaking aloud a moment later.

"12:05…" he said slowly, tapping his cane against Nino's spine. "I wonder. Are you not worth it to them? I wouldn't be too surprised, but it does mean that something will have to be done." Hawkmoth paused in his sentence. "It will be entertaining to watch the city doubt them. I can be patient, I will bide my time if I am forced too, but this failure?" He chuckled and Nino's jaw clenched. "Oh how the city will doubt them. A little boy was counting on them, and they failed. Not the perfect heroes they wanted after all."

Hawkmoth's laugh was slow and building, his voice so deep that when thunder rolled again for a moment they were indiscernible from each other.

"Yes, unpleasant though it is…" Hawkmoth said slowly, lifting the cane away from him. Nino froze in terror when he heard a sound like a blade being unsheathed before Hawkmoth said, "That will be victory enough, for now."

And then the door crashed open.

Nino looked up when the sound of the storm flooded into the cathedral, the crash of the doors resounding through the massive room. Even so, with the echoes and the storm and the thunder and his own beating heart… Nino heard Hawkmoth snarl.

"Who." Hawkmoth said through clenched teeth, his voice growing louder in rage to confront the stranger that strode down the center of the aisle, "WHO ARE YOU TO INTERFERE."

Nino watched in amazement, a flicker of hope burning in his chest as he saw this strange man, aged and stoic as he approached them. A hero. A Miraculous wielder.

"I am someone who has lived long enough to know the evil of cruel and selfish children pretending to be men."

The stranger's voice echoed, filled with calm yet unstoppable force.

Hawkmoth's power though was anything but calm, it was rolling and all encompassing. Like the power of a thunderstorm.

"Do not involve yourself," Hawkmoth threatened, and for the first time Nino felt something sharp press against his skin. "I will not hesitate."

"I know you won't," the old man spoke, his voice still challenging. "Have you not wondered how things came to this point? Have you not wondered what could have rotted inside of you that you would be willing to murder an innocent child?"

Nino swallowed, focusing on the man who stood against Hawkmoth so fearlessly. He tried to fight off his fear, breathing deeply. He had to be brave… he had to be brave.

"I don't have to wonder," Hawkmoth growled, his voice sinister. "I know the answer, and it is only through power that I can rectify it."

The stranger stopped, a short distance away from them so that Nino could see the turtle shell like shield he wielded. It was held to still, no sign of wavering…

"You have chosen to use the Miraculous you possess for evil…" the man said slowly, his eyes somehow saddened, "and from that folly there is no return. You have been poisoned, your soul as blackened and cruel as the Akuma you terrorize innocent lives with. But like the Akuma… I hope for your sake that one day you may be cleansed."

And then he lunged.

The old man lifted his arm and threw the shield so suddenly that Nino had hardly seen it happen, he was more so aware of something passing only a few feet over his head with such force that when it collided Hawkmoth was thrown several feet backwards.

"Run young guardian!" the stranger called out, running towards and passed Nino. "Run!"

Nino was stunned, for a second too scared to move before he was stumbling down the steps and down to the center aisle, falling once and crawling armless back to his feet as he heard Hawkmoth's animalistic roar of rage.

Nino made it almost ten rows down before the darkness of the cathedral was pierced with blinding light, the brightness almost having something physical to it like fire that flowed and burned a sickening shade of purple. When it hit him it sent Nino flying, the young boy slamming into a pew and collapsing to the ground with the wind knocked out of him, his wrist screaming in pain when he pull weight landed on it.

Nino coughed out, struggling to drag in a full breath of air as he struggled to his knees, head reeling as he looked through broken lenses back towards the conflict.

What he saw was Hawkmoth, a sword with a thin black blade pulled from his cane in one hand, and the hollow cane in the other. From the end of cane came energy of some kind, darker now and spilling out like smoke. The stranger had his shield again, standing firmly between Hawkmoth and Nino even as Hawkmoth attacked, screaming in fury as he lashed out.

Nino's head was reeling, but he still had the presence of mind to feel hope for his savior. Such a thin sword against a shield like that, it didn't matter how fast Hawkmoth moved a weapon like that-

It was when the blade collided with the shield that Nino discovered the source of what had thrown him, that same purple, cold energy that swelled against the walls and clung to the windows like fire would swallow a burning building as soon as he attacked.

Nino was far enough away now that it didn't hit him like it did before, pushing him against the pew like an icy wind. The more Hawkmoth attacked the colder it got, and the more it pushed back the old man.

Nino got to his feet, stumbling towards the door but he was dizzy, starting to feel like headed and like he couldn't… quite… breathe.

Nino staggered, falling to his knees and starting to choke, his chest heaving in coughs and struggling to pull in air but failing, only pulling in more and more of whatever horrible power Hawkmoth expelled.

Nino couldn't breathe, his head swimming and clouded as he started to black out. What was the most frightening though… was it didn't quite feel like he was out of air. He could feel it, pulling like heavy gas in his lungs and soaking into him. He could feel what came with it, something chilling and potent and… enticing.

He recognized it.

' _Hello Bubbler'_ the memory echoed in his head, pulled out by whatever was choking him now. It was clouded and distant but it was numbing like a narcotic.

Was this Hawkmoth's power?

' _Yes'_ the darkness answered. ' _This is the power of a tainted Miraculous. You were too weak to deny it before. And you are too weak to deny me now.'_

'No…' Nino thought, coherent thoughts of any kind a struggle to maintain. He was starting to shake again. 'No… NO.'

' _Hello Bubbler… hello Bubbler,'_ it echoed, something ghostly like a laugh drifting through him along with the nearly inaudible thunder that seemed a world away. ' _Or perhaps a new name? Something new? It hardly matters. You can't deny me Nino, you were too weak before, and nothing has changed.'_

'No…' Nino thought again, doing everything in his power to push his legs beneath him, his vision spotted with something dark and horrifying. Like butterfly wings. 'I won't… let you.'

' _You can't stop me.'_

The darkness blinded him, taking away the blurry image of the open door that lead to a water drenched Paris.

' _The Miraculous stone is protecting this old meddling fool, but it won't protect you. Oh Nino…'_ the voice mused, laughing again as his strength started to fail. ' _I will enjoy forcing you to fight your friends.'_

There was a moment that seemed to stretch on forever, or maybe not quite that. It was a moment that stretched long enough, those last few words echoing out into the darkness that threatened to consume him.

And Nino breathed.

Air flooded his lungs in a harsh grating gasp, Nino forcing his knees to move, to drag him forward.

'Fight my friends…' Nino thought to himself, his own voice claiming his mind and fighting to drive out anything else. 'Fight my friends…'

Nino dragged in another painful, burning breath, the image of the open door starting to come back to him.

'No way in hell…'

Nino kept dragging in each agonizing lungful of air as he crawled towards the storm, the rain growing louder and louder as he approached. The father he crawled the stronger he became, his vision starting to clear and his senses coming back to him with every foot he managed.

He wasn't going to be afraid anymore, he wasn't going to let that monster manipulate him. He was dark and cruel and twisted, filled with rage and cruelty. Nothing like that would ever touch him again… no power, no matter how suffocating would ever make him hurt anyone again.

He refused.

Nino laughed to himself a little in shock when he felt the icy rain start to drench his clothing. He crawled painfully through the water and out of the Notre Dame, ignoring the pain of his injuries for a moment to enjoy the feeling.

He was smiling when Ladybug and Cat Noir found him, laying in the street in the middle of a storm. They ran to him, screaming his name and pulling him into their arms, Cat Noir clawing at his restraints so relieve his aching arms.

"Hawkmoth…" Nino said, his smile faltering a little and his tone serious. "The cathedral. He's in there alone, the guy who saved me. I'm fine, just go after him, go."

The duo looked down at him, his vision now mostly clear save for the rain drops on his cracked glasses, but he could see the conflict in their faces all the same before they pulled him to the side of the street, vanishing into church.

Thunder… that was most of what Nino could hear aside from the rain. The drops were so heavy and so frequent it was like static, coating the city in white noise. No one else was around. No one would dare to wander close… so Nino was alone.

He was sitting on the ground, pain throbbing in his wrist and his arms and his stomach, his ribs were bruised for sure. However even though he wasn't far from the violence he wasn't afraid. He knew things were be okay even before he saw the trio of figures approaching.

Nino actually grinned, despite everything, looking up at his friends and his savior as they walked up to him, all three looking weary.

"Soo," Nino said, drawing out the word expectantly. "How did it go?"

"You- you are unbelievable," Cat Noir blurted on impulse, a tense laugh slipping out as he looked down at his best friend, battered and bruised grinning like nothing had happened.

Nino looked over to see the old man smiling and Ladybug shaking her head, crouching down to kneel beside him.

"He ran," Ladybug explained, sounding incredibly tired. "As soon as it was three on one and he had no leverage he knew he couldn't win, so he ran. If we had gone after him… I don't know what would have happened. That fight isn't meant for today I suppose."

"I'm not too worried about it," Nino said in response, Cat Noir chuckling and dropping his face into one of his hands at his friend's flippant attitude. "You'll get him next time B."

"Nino," Ladybug scoffed, shaking her head, "how can you just- how can you just be so _whatever_ about this?"

"I've spent the last however many hours scared out of my mind," Nino said with a huff and a shrug though the movement hurt somewhat, "I'm about done with it now."

Ladybug groaned but the two other men gathered laughed, Nino's attention pulled towards the old man again.

"Hey… you saved me back there," Nino addressed him, doing his best to stand. Cat Noir ducked quickly to help him up but Nino strode forward on his own to hold out his hand. "I owe you my life. Thank you."

"You owe me nothing young man," the old man chuckled, accepting the hand shake with a weary smile. "It was you who saved yourself."

Nino stood there in confusion, the rain drenching them all as they stood there. He dropped his hand, tilting his head slightly. "What do you mean? If you hadn't showed I'd have a sword through my neck."

"Perhaps," the old man allowed, shrugging his shoulders, "but I could do nothing to protect you from Hawkmoth's influence. When he tried to poison you, you denied him." The old man locked eyes with him, and suddenly Nino felt like he couldn't look away even if he tried, and the old man grinned and said, "That took more strength then you could possibly know, there is no doubt now."

* * *

Nino held his mother as she cried, knowing that this whole ordeal hadn't just been hard for him. Both of his parents had looked sick with worry when they showed up at the hospital, storming in even as the doctors were trying to treat him. The only person who rivaled his parents' determination to get through was probably Alya, his friend tackling him as soon as the doctors gave the OK.

Even now that they had made it home Nino knew they were still shaken.

Nino was allowed to rest in his room after that, thankfully repaired once Ladybug had cleansed the Akuma responsible. Sleeping was easy, he was beyond exhausted, but he was acutely aware of the fact that someone was always watching him.

As the days passed the guards changed out but remained all the same.

Sometimes it was Ladybug, sometimes it was Cat Noir. Sometimes it was his parents too, waiting outside his bedroom door in case they heard any noise.

It was four days since the attack happened that Nino couldn't handle it anymore. He hated it, he hated how exhausted Marinette and Adrien looked every time they came to see him. There was so much weighing on them and his safety was burdening them. He knew they had a lot of other crap to think about, any other attacks that could happen, their own lives, each other. He had learned from Marinette that Adrien had revealed himself, but every time he tried to address it she would shake her head, saying that Hawkmoth was still a threat to him. Freaking out about… that, well, it wasn't on her priority list yet.

Nino was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling for a while as he thought.

He hadn't been allowed to leave, Ladybug and Cat Noir convinced he was still a target. They didn't want to risk him getting hurt but…

Nino groaned, closing his eyes.

They couldn't do this forever… it was wrong. What was their plan, just guard him day and night until they beat Hawkmoth? That power… Nino had felt it firsthand. With them wearing themselves thin like this…

They couldn't protect him forever, and that knowledge was weighing on them too.

Nino sighed, hating how unfair it felt.

If he could just… _be_ strong enough to protect himself then it wouldn't matter if Hawkmoth came after him again. Ladybug and Cat Noir could go back to being lame and stupid and in love. He could live his life again. He could stop flinching at every shadow on his window.

He just wanted to be able to protect his friends, and himself. He wanted the power to protect what was important to him.

Was that so impossible?

Nino jumped when he heard a knock at the door, sitting up as his father let himself in.

"Hey kiddo," his dad said, taking a few steps in the doorway with something in his hands. "Someone sent a get well gift for you, it didn't have a name on it though."

"Oh, thanks," Nino said, reaching out for the small parcel. When it was in his hands he could tell that whatever was in the gray bag was solid, not quiet heavy but not light either.

Nino's dad watched him for a second before he left, closing the door behind him as he went.

Nino didn't open it right away, too distracted with his own thoughts to care much what it was… put eventually his curiosity led him to tear the bag away.

Nino stared at the small jewelry box as it fell into his hands, turning it over in his hands in bewilderment to stare at all the Chinese lettering marked across it. It was old, wooden and shaped like an octagon.

"What?" he said aloud, totally confused at such a random gift. And it didn't have a name?

Nino looked down at the discarded grab bag it had come in, reaching inside to feel around for- yeah, a note.

Nino lifted the note with one hand and held the box with the other, one eye brow raised at the totally cryptic message on the simple white card.

[All you have to say is Transform Me.

-Jade]


End file.
